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Weather on the Horizon

Years ago, sea-faring men watched and studied the horizon in order to be able to predict the weather. We’ve all heard the sailor’s lines, 

“Red sky at night,

A sailor’s delight!

Red sky at morning, 

Sailors take warning!”

Because of necessity, and using very basic tools, men became adept at watching for minute changes in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure, which allowed them to notice changing conditions and to interpret what they saw on the horizon. With this information, they were able to prepare ahead of time for developing storm conditions. 

The development of almanacs and other printed publications, helped people to add historical perspective to their observations, by providing data about historical measurements of temperature, wind, rainfall, weather cycles, and other things relative to the calendar months and years. Thus they could, with some degree of assurance, know what they could expect during specific seasons.

Over time, advanced instruments were developed to help them measure more accurately the changes in conditions, and to more easily predict the degree to which weather would change over a given period of time. Today, we sit in our homes and offices and check the weather on our favorite television or radio channels, on the Internet, or on our smart phone. We seldom even bother to look past our own back yard or driveway to personally check weather conditions, and when we do it is not to look for storms on the horizon, but to check whether we can safely go outside or drive to work or school that day.

One result of these technological advances is that we have, as individuals, largely lost the capability of looking to the horizon and comprehending the changes coming from afar. We tend to focus on things that are immediately before us, often not noticing subtle and gradual changes in our immediate surroundings, much less those more ominous changes on the horizon. We may easily fail to see dangerous weather conditions gathering on the horizon, as we look to the computer to tell us whether we should carry an umbrella to work.

In much the same way, we may fail to recognize subtle changes in our moral and cultural surroundings. We may become so focused on specific issues and minute details of our individual lives that we fail to notice the greater waves of change developing all around us, as we move ever closer to the turbulent and trying times foretold by prophets of God throughout history.

I remember as a young man, in my teens, hearing my father speak of how times had changed and that I faced challenges he had no reason to even consider as a youth. I fully comprehend now what he was saying, as I see commonplace things today that would have utterly shocked me as a boy. We speak of the dangers of pornography, yet we patiently wait through sensual advertisements to get back to our television show. Many commercial advertisements that only a few years ago would have been considered sexually provocative, if not illegal, are now normal. Programs that today are not considered explicit enough for regulation or rating, only a few short years ago would have been considered unacceptable for public broadcast by the majority of our society. Many new social issues, such as gender-identity and same-sex marriage, were not heard of until just a few short years ago.

Well did the psalmist write, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” (Psalms 82:5)

Captain Moroni, leader of the Nephite armies in the Book of Mormon, built fortifications around the cities of the Nephites to protect them from their enemies. He caused “that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.

3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.

4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.” (Alma 50:1–4)

Might we not also build fortifications of spiritual strength and temporal security around our homes, by increasing our study of the Holy Scriptures, improving our family prayers, better keeping of the Sabbath Day, paying full tithes and generous offerings, increasing volunteer service, gathering our emergency storage, reducing or eliminating debt, living within our means, and more strict obedience in keeping our covenants with the Lord?

Or, are we like the man who licks his finger and holds it in the air to determine which way the wind blows? Do we look to a weathervane, which changes direction with every change of the wind, for guidance? Or do we look to a compass that gives guidance relative to sure, fixed points. For guidance in our lives we may look to the sure compass of personal revelation, the words of the prophets, and the scriptures as our guides, which give true guidance and direction, regardless of which way the winds of societal change may blow. 

As a young man, I was once told about an animal called the “Mugwump.”  A Mugwump is a fairly common large animal that often takes on human proportions. It is known for sitting on fences with its mug on one side and its wump on the other.  The words of John the Revelator seem appropriate here: 

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15–16)

Nephi, quoting the Prophet Isaiah, wrote, 

“For behold, at that day shall [Satan] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (2 Nephi 28:20–21)

The scriptures tell us there will come a great division or separation among the people, those who seek righteousness from those who seek prideful, selfish desires and personal gratification. This divide, which we are seeing develop in our world at this time, will become greater and greater until the ill-fated mugwump will become forever extinct. There will be no fence-sitters. Choices will have to be made, and those choices will not be passive, nor ignorant, nor will they be made secretly and in the dark. They will be made in the full light of day.

As that day approaches, we will begin to see righteous men and women of all races, cultures, faiths, and disciplines begin to shine forth in the world like stars in the night sky. We will see them coming forth in all walks of life, in places both high and low, while those who choose to follow Satan to satisfy their selfish, prideful, and base desires, will, individually, and as a people, fall further and further into moral and economic ruin, decay, and darkness. There will come a day, not long into the future, when all those who seek for peace and security in this world will necessarily seek unto Zion, as foretold in Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

“And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

69 And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

70 And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

71 And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.”

(Doctrine and Covenants 45:66–71)

The harbinger of this great division is the moral decay we are seeing today, which is fueled and accelerated by pornography, alcohol, other mind-altering substances, and other unhealthful and unholy practices, which dull the sensibilities, confound wisdom, and make evil appear as good. “Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (2 Nephi 15:20). How like is our time unto the days of the Prophet Jeremiah, as he foretold the total destruction of Jerusalem, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16)

I often reflect on my church mission, which I served more than 40 years ago. I remember a painting by Marilee B. Campbell, depicting two young missionaries symbolically harvesting golden wheat in a field. The painting shows beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds in the background.

 

I believe that if that scene were painted today, the artist would be impressed to paint dark and foreboding storm clouds on the horizon. I believe she would paint an expression of urgency on the faces of the two missionaries, and show multitudes of other righteous people in the background assisting the missionaries in gathering the wheat from among the tares.

I also believe that if that painting were to be painted again, another ten years from now, it would show these two missionaries and other righteous laborers wearing storm gear and working hard in the wind and rain to gather in the remaining sheaves of wheat.

We have been told since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that we are living in the 11th hour and 59th minute of all time. The prophecies contained in all the Holy Scriptures are being fulfilled before our eyes. There are few yet unfulfilled.

We have read the prophecies. We have heard the warnings of the Brethren. We can see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. But let us not fear, rather, let us prepare, for the Lord will be with us as He was with the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Those who are faithful to their covenants with the Lord will see marvelous signs and wondrous miracles occur for their good. They will stand forth as beacons in the night and the Lord will prosper and protect them in righteousness, so “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,” (1 Samuel 17:46) and that none may be left with excuse in the Last Day (Romans 1:20).

Brothers and sisters, now is the time to finish our preparations. Now is the time to heed the warnings of the prophets. Now is the time to fortify our lives and homes, to reduce or eliminate debt, to pay full tithes and generous offerings, to learn to live within our means, to gather our emergency supplies, to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, to refine and perfect our righteousness, to better keep our covenants and serve the Lord. Now is the time. 

The calm before the storm is past. The gusting winds are even now whipping about us. Look out at the horizon and see. Look to the scriptures and understand. There will be no more respite. Now is the time to batten down the hatches, gird up our loins, and round-up our shoulders to make the final push to the end.

We are about to enter the most wondrous era of human history. Never has there been a day wherein the power of God has been more greatly manifest in the world. Never before have there been holy temples dotting the globe and the ordinances of salvation made available to so many. Never before has there been such an army of true priesthood holders throughout the world as in our day. This will be a blessed time for the righteous, but it will not be an easy time. It will be, as Dickens so aptly penned in A Tale of Two Cities, the best of times and the worst of times.

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.” (Ether 12:4)

Brothers and sisters, look forward in faith and righteousness for a better world, for “signs shall follow them that believe.”(Ether 4:18–19) and God shall fight their battles for them. (Isaiah 31:4)

In the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

TTHenrie 04/04/2021

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What if You’re Wrong?

What if You’re Wrong?

A question was once asked of a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with regard to his belief in the existence of a god who created and is interested in man,

“What if you’re wrong?” 

This led me to consider what my answer to this important question might be.  After some deep thought, here is my response:

Firstly, as a human being, in a social context, the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teach me to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ with regard to human relations. We are taught to treat others as we would have them treat us. We are taught that we are all brothers and sisters, not only in a mortal sense, but as an eternal family, children of God. We are taught to judge mercifully, to be kind, generous, and respectful of all. We are taught to choose that which edifies ourselves and others and to reject and avoid that which destroys or diminishes goodness and righteousness. Faithfully living according to these principles, in and of themselves irrespective of whether God exists, makes the world in which we live a better place.

Physically, meaning as regards the mortal body and physical well-being, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are taught to eschew that which is unhealthful to the body. We are taught to avoid taking into our bodies harmful substances such as coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, and any other harmful or addictive substance, except under the prescription of a qualified medical doctor. We are taught to exercise regularly and to avoid excesses or activities that may diminish the health of the body, such as overeating or eating unhealthy foods or any other harmful activity. We are taught that the body is “the temple” of the spirit and that a healthy body increases the possibilities of joy and productive service in this life. If there is no God and no spirit giving life to the body, there is still no downside to living according to these doctrines,  counsels, and principles.

With regard to mental health, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are taught that we are not alone in this universe; there is help for us from a higher power. We are taught there may be divine purpose in our disappointments and struggles in this life. We are taught to hope in the face of hopelessness, to believe that we can overcome adversity and may even conquer impossible odds, because He who helps us has power over all things. We are taught that we may be forgiven of even our most egregious errors and become clean once again, leaving our past behind us to start again with a newness of life, going forward with the prospect of avoiding those mistakes in the future. No psychologist, medical professional, or certified counselor of any kind will deny there is healing power in hope for those who struggle with depression, loss, and many other mental health issues, regardless of whether those hopes are founded in a power that may be non-existent. It is the belief that opens the door to the healing power of hope.

Economically, we are taught to be frugal, to avoid debt as much as possible, to go forward in obtaining education, in perfecting a trade, or both. We are taught from our youth the value of self-reliance, hard work, industry, service, honesty, and perseverance. Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of life is just showing up.” We are taught not only to show up, but to show up well-prepared and with a worker’s mindset. Any speaker or literature proponing principles of success in career and life in general will include all of these valuable virtues, irrespective of whether God exists.

Over and above it all, however, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are taught that this mortal life, in itself, is a time of learning and progress, preparatory for an eternal life to come. There is, in fact, an overarching purpose that gives meaning to our mortal struggles and strife. We are taught that we are, in very fact, children of loving and kindly Heavenly Parents, who are eternal and who created and prepared this earth as a university, of sorts, wherein we may learn to become as they are, and so qualify for that eternal joy in that celestial world in which they exist and from which we came. They provided guidelines, counsels, and gave commandments, which, if we abide by them willingly, will lead us to the life they live. We believe they so loved us that our Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son (in the flesh) to atone, or pay the eternal price, for our infractions against His commandments, whatever they may be, on conditions of repentance. We may be washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ if we will repent of our sins and return to the path He has laid out for us to follow. If we will do so, we are promised that we may return to our Heavenly Home, to go no more out, there to live again with our Heavenly Family, sealed for eternity to our Heavenly Parents, Their son and our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the family we, ourselves, have created here in this mortal existence. We are promised that, just as our Heavenly Parents continually extend their kingdom and glory by creating worlds and children to inhabit them, worlds without end, we may also have eternal increase, worlds without end.

For God has said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)

Now, I put the same question to you, “What if you’re wrong?”

TH

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Real Growth

Several years ago, I was assigned to speak in church on the topic of “Real Growth”. 

As I began preparations for the talk, I found my mind continually reaching back to my youth, searching for those things that brought me “Real Growth”. Let me tell you a little about myself.

I was born January 30, 1959 to Gordon and Mardella Henrie. 

My father is from Panguitch, Utah. He was born, as we say, “under the covenant”, meaning his parents were sealed in the temple, for time and eternity, prior to his birth. In fact, so were his parents, and their parents, and their parents, dating back to January 22,1846, when William and Myra Henrie were sealed in the Nauvoo temple, prior to the great exodus of the church westward to the Salt Lake Valley. However, in his youth, my father became what is commonly known as a “Utah Mormon. In other words, he wasn’t particularly close to the church. His conversion began in his late teens, when he left home and joined the US Air Force. Now, in his 87th year, he remains steadfast in the Gospel, having been a faithful servant of the Lord.

My mother is from Clanton, Alabama and was raised a Southern Baptist. Her youth was considerably different than that of my father. Concepts such as eternal marriage, temple covenants, and even personal revelation and testimony were entirely foreign to her, despite the fact that she was raised in a religious home. She was introduced to the Gospel by my father, who attempted unsuccessfully to teach her before they were married. Failing that, he introduced her to the missionaries, whose teachings she received with a whole heart. She was baptized before I was born just over a year later. Now in her 84th year, she is faithful to all her covenants and is a revered mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

How was it then, that it took so many years for my father to become “converted”, yet it took my mother only a matter of months. While my father was raised in the church, my mother was introduced to it in her early 20s by my father. While my father’s roots run deep in the church, my mother’s family still share their deep concern for her salvation, believing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be a false religion.

One day a couple years ago I asked my daughter, Gina, what “real growth” means to her. Her answer was a very wise one. She said, 

“Real growth is when you begin to recognize what things are really important and what things are not.”

I think that explains why it took my dad as much as 18-20 years to become converted to the Gospel, even though he was raised in the church, while it took my mother only a matter of months, once she was first exposed to the truth.

Sometimes new converts to the church feel a little disadvantaged, when they see around them those who have been members all their lives, and who are intimately familiar with the church and its workings, or who have gained deep knowledge of the scriptures over many years of study, or who have held high and holy callings in the church.

Ironically, many times, those who have been members all their lives envy those same new converts for the burning testimony they feel that compelled them to change their lives, to be baptized, and to share their testimony with all their friends.  Often, lifetime members long for that burning in the bosom they hear described in the scriptures and experienced by so many new converts, yet which they don’t seem to feel themselves, despite their faithfulness to their covenants.

Brothers and sisters, I would like to share with you some of the “Real Growth” experiences of my life.

I remember my mother kneeling with me by my bedside, when I was a very young child, teaching me to pray. I remember my first memorized prayer: 

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep,

And If I die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

I remember how important it was to my mother that I pray every night. Eventually she taught me how to talk to my Heavenly Father.

As I grew older, I had a few years, as most children do, when bad dreams and nightmares were my greatest fear. Monsters lived under the bed and in the closet. I remember learning quickly that when I had a nightmare, I could pray and Heavenly Father would protect me and the bad dream would go away.

The problem was that I thought I had to kneel by my bed to pray. It may seem a small thing to you, but it took enormous faith on my part to slide out of bed and kneel by my bedside to pray to my Heavenly Father, when my greatest fear lived under the bed.

I eventually learned that if I remembered to pray for good dreams before I climbed into bed, I would not have bad dreams at all. Imagine to yourself the faith growing in my little heart regarding my Heavenly Father’s love for me, and his protecting hand.

My mother’s teaching about prayer stayed with me. To this day, I cannot climb into bed without saying my nightly prayer. I simply cannot sleep until I have done so. Consequently, I cannot finish a day without clearing the air between myself and the Lord. This has been a great protection and blessing to me throughout my life.

I remember the day I was sealed to my parents in the Mesa, Arizona temple. I was about 4 or 5 years old. I remember having to sit in a waiting room, where I was bored. There were no toys. My parents were somewhere else and were gone a long time. I remember sitting by a window, looking out and wishing I were somewhere else. Yet, I also remember the peaceful feeling in the temple, and that I knew I had to be reverent there. I knew that whatever was happening, it was important to my parents and to my Heavenly Father. Over the years it became important to me. I knew I wanted my family to be an eternal one, and that the temple was the only place on earth where that could become a reality.

Now fast-forward a few years into the future. In my youth I considered that I had a strong testimony. I was called to leadership positions on several occasions. I was quite proud of myself. I was doing things right, and I made sure others knew I was the example they should follow. I was planning on serving a mission. I was on-track. So proud was I, in fact, and so sure of myself, that I often fell into errors I might have avoided, had I been a humble follower of Christ. To this day I know of not one person who ever joined the church during my high school years due to my influence. In later years, I learned that righteousness is more than skin-deep. It must reach into the soul and come from the heart.

Fast forward again. I served a mission. I served well. I held leadership positions. I returned home honorably. I was married in the temple to the right woman (the same temple in which my parents, and hers, were sealed) and we have been married going on 40 years. I continued my education, which lead to career opportunities that allowed me to support a family and provide opportunities for their growth and welfare. I learned that making correct choices and doing the right things leads to the opening of doors of opportunity that would otherwise be closed to me.

When I was 30 years old and had three children, I was just beginning my career as an FBI Agent. I had struggled with the decision to become a federal agent for quite some time, having also felt a desire to be a high school teacher. I felt the Lord had not answered my prayers, but had left me unto myself to make that choice. I was somewhat discouraged that I would receive so much help from the Lord in other aspects of my life and in church callings, but that I would receive no answers for such an important decision for my life and family. I finally told the Lord I was going to go ahead and do what I thought was best and if I was wrong, I asked that he should guide me in the right direction and promised I would follow, regardless of the consequences.

Shortly after I graduated from the Academy and we were settled in our first duty station, Midland, Texas, I was called as a Stake Missionary and a Ward Mission Leader. I was called to be interviewed by the First Counselor in the Stake Presidency. As I sat before him, he reviewed my name and asked, “Are you related to any Henries from Utah?” I explained that my great-grandfather, Norm Sargent, was from Panguitch, Utah, and that my dad, Gordon Henrie, was born and raised there.

This humble man, then with tears in his eyes, said, “Gordon Henrie taught me the Gospel.” As it turned out, he and my dad had met in flight school for the US Air Force as young cadets. Dad started taking him to church meetings, where he became converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My great-grandfather, Norm Sargent, baptized him.

This experience I received as my confirmation from the Lord that He was pleased with my decision and approved my choice of career. I had learned that sometimes the Lord’s guidance in our lives is less a matter of Him telling us what to do, but rather, His saying, “You choose the path you desire to take, and I’ll help you walk it.”

When I was about 32 years old, a couple years into my career, already with 4 children, I was away from my family for specialized training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia. I had been, at the time, studying the Doctrine and Covenants. I was nearing the end of it. As I studied the book, the feeling had been growing within me that I wanted a greater knowledge and testimony of God than that simple one I had always had, since my early childhood. This desire worked within me and became a topic of prayer as I studied the revelations in the D&C.

One Saturday evening, as I closed my day with prayer, I found myself somewhat discouraged that I wasn’t feeling the progress I desired in my testimony. I wanted more, yet I did not desire to be a “sign-seeker”. I just wanted a greater knowledge and understanding. I felt I had earned it. I had indeed sought and knocked and waited to receive.

That night I had a deep talk with the Lord. I told him that I did not doubt, but that I had questions in my heart. I knew he was there, and that he loved me, and that He watched over me and answered my prayers. I told him that I had kept his statutes throughout my life, that I had kept his commandments: I had served a mission; I had kept the law of chastity; I had paid my tithes faithfully; I had kept the Word of Wisdom; I had married in the temple; I had served faithfully in my callings. I had lived according to all I had been taught, yet I still had this simple childlike faith in Him, with all the questions and blindness that entails. I told my Father in Heaven that I felt that I had paid the price to have greater light and knowledge bestowed upon me. I told him I had done all I had been asked to do. I told him I desired to know more.  

I waited on my knees by my bedside.

Nothing came. I concluded that I was not yet ready.

I awoke the next morning, a Sunday morning, a bit downcast and lay in bed wondering whether I should see if I could find a local chapel, where I could attend church and take the sacrament. I started thinking I might just stay at the academy and maybe attend one of the non-denominational meetings there, just to be in keeping with the Sabbath Day. I began to think I would probably not be able to find a local building in time anyway (this was before the Internet and GPS).

As I lay there, I was suddenly struck with this thought:  “Here you kneeled by this very bedside last night, telling the Lord how you were ready for greater light and knowledge, that you had paid the price to know, and that you were ready. Now here this morning, you lie here in this same bed, wondering whether you should go to church and making excuses for yourself.”

I immediately got out of bed and went to the phone book. I looked up the local building and made a call to the bishop’s office. He answered and in minutes had the address, directions, and meeting times. I began to dress to go to church.  As I did so, I had one of the most spiritual experiences of my life.

I began to ponder some questions that had been prominent in my mind for some time. Suddenly, my mind was opened to things I had never before considered. My thoughts were drawn out into eternal things, and I thought more deeply and understood more completely the things of the Creation, of space and time, of the Atonement of Christ, and of the very existence God, than I had ever before experienced. Many of the scriptures became more open to me, and I understood things I had not before understood. This experience continued for the space of about two hours, even as I drove, closing just as I approached the chapel.

This was the answer to my prayers. I had received what I had so long sought. I had received greater light and knowledge, and even more, I knew the promise was true, that if we seek, and if we knock, we will receive. 

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.

68 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

(Doctrine and Covenants 88:63-64, 68)

It took me until I was 32 years old to receive that additional light and knowledge, having done all I was asked to do, not in perfection, but in diligence and persistence. No one need suppose that I have gained a perfect knowledge, or a sure knowledge of all of the things of God, for much of what I perceived and understood during that experience was closed to me when the experience closed, yet I know I had the experience and I remember the power of it. That memory has, over the years, brought me to shed all doubt regarding His existence, His knowledge of all things, His power over them all, and His love for his children.

Do not be discouraged if your answers do not come according to your own desires and your own timetable. The Lord knows you and your needs. He will answer according to His wisdom and in His time. Be faithful. Be diligent. Be persistent. He will come to you.

Above all, even if you have doubts and questions, do not despair, but trust in the words of those who do know, until your faith is increased and your testimony can stand on its own, for even that is a gift of the Spirit.

I leave you my testimony that our Heavenly Father knows you. He knows your name. He knows your desires, your strengths, your weaknesses, your faults, your sins, and your eternal worth as His child. He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In the holy name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

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Tight Like Unto a Dish

I love the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon. It is an appendage to the Book of Mormon, transcribed by Moroni from 24 gold plates discovered by the people of Limhi while they were seeking in the wilderness for the people of Nephi, from whom they descended. The record was first translated by King Mosiah, but the information was not released to the people until after their visitation by Jesus Christ after His resurrection, because they were so commanded.

Moroni included this record, which contains much of the history of a people we know as Jaredites, who inhabited an area believed to be in North America nearly 1000 years before the arrival of the family of Lehi to the American continents, as an appendage to the record of his father, Mormon. Moroni indicates in his writings that he had not supposed that he would live to be able to continue the record long after the death of his father, but we know from Moroni’s writings, calculations made by various scriptorians and historians, and statements made by the prophet Joseph Smith, that Moroni lived and wandered alone for more than 20 years after his father’s death, before he buried the record he completed, which we have today as the Book of Mormon.

I have often heard the question asked, “Why was the record of Ether included in the Book of Mormon?” Most of the Book of Ether is filled with description of corruption and terrible wars and destruction, until, finally, the entire Jaredite civilization, which lasted for 1000 years, was entirely destroyed, save one sole survivor, Coriantumr. What message is there in that for our day?

Let me tell you why I believe the Book of Ether is among the most important books of holy writ we have at our disposal in this time of social and moral upheaval in our world. I believe it is a message of hope and faith especially prepared for our day and time.

The people of Jared came forth from the Tower of Babel at the time when the Lord God confounded the language of the people, to disperse them. Jared and his faithful brother, sought the favor of the Lord and asked that the language of them and their family and friends not be confounded. The Lord granted their desire and promised to lead them to a land for their inheritance. He said “I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.  There I will bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation.” (Ether 1:42-43)

The Lord led them to the shores of the ocean, but here the people became satisfied and settled and no longer sought the guidance of the Lord. They were content where they were and stopped listening for that “still small voice (1 Kings 19:11)” that would guide them on.  They had no conception that this happy place was not the choice land the Lord had promised them. After four years on that quiet, comfortable beach, the Lord with great power and sternness “did…talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. (Ether 2:14)” 

The people repented of their slothfulness and the Lord instructed them, warning that His “Spirit will not always strive with man” when they forget to diligently seek His will, to build eight barges in which he would take them across the oceans to this new, undiscovered and choice land. He commanded, “Go to work and build…”

The manner after which the people were to build their barges was described as follows:

“They were small and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water.”

“They were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water, like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.” (Ether 2:16-17)

The brother of Jared (as he was known in the record), directed this work and the people accomplished it just as they were commanded. The brother of Jared then went to the Lord for some clarification on some of the details of the construction, which the Lord detailed for him. He then discovered a problem that greatly concerned him: There was no light in the boats for them to live by when the doors were closed. The brother of Jared asked for guidance on how to deal with this problem. He asked, “Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we should cross this great water in darkness?”

The Lord’s answer was gentle, but instructive:

“What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.

For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore, what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” (Ether 2:23-25)

The brother of Jared went into the mountains and “molten out of a rock” sixteen small, clear, glass-like, stones, which he then carried before the Lord. He asked the Lord to “touch these stones with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness…” that they might produce light for their journey. For his diligence, the brother of Jared was rewarded with one of the greatest spiritual manifestations and revelations the world has ever known (see Ether 3) in which the Lord answered his prayer and touched each stone with His finger.

“And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.”

Therefore, the people of Jared and his brother prepared for their journey, taking into their vessels all the provisions they could carry, and they went forth upon the waters in faith.

“And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish…therefore when they were encompassed about by the many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.

And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land…” 

“And thus they were driven forth: and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them, and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.” (Ether 6: 5-10)

The record continues:

“And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.” (Ether 6:12)

What could be more instructive for us in our day, in this tumultuous time of societal upheaval, corruption, natural disasters, illness, disease, lasciviousness, godlessness, and shattered hopes? What could bring more hope to mankind than the understanding that the Lord has prepared each of us to cross “this great deep” and that the furious winds and the tempests and floods of change and tremendous difficulty are the waves, and floods, and winds sent forth out of His mouth and that they “never cease to blow towards the promised land.” 

How wonderful it is to me to know that the Lord has touched some of those among us  (“for…God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” – Matthew 3:9 ) with His finger and prepared “stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.”

How blessed I feel to know that if I will “cry unto the Lord,” with all my heart, He will bring me up again out of my depths upon the top of the waters and that there is nothing in this world that He cannot defeat.

“And thus they were driven forth: and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them, and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.” (Ether 6: 5-10)

Therefore, let us be diligent and build our vessels “tight, like unto a dish,” as His servants have taught, that we may be light upon the waters and impenetrable to those destructive elements that will continually assault us while crossing “this great deep.”

And may we always know that these furious winds “never cease to blow towards the promised land.”

TH 01/10/21

(All italics added)

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Some things I have learned about receiving personal revelation from God

During the April 2018 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Russel M. Nelson said:

“The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.  Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits.

Imagine the miracle of it! Whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions, and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own. If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.”

What a great blessing it is to know that we, individually, may receive guidance from our Father in Heaven to help us in our lives.

I have found that there are times in my life when personal inspiration and revelation are far from me and hard to find. I have learned that when this happens, it is I who have moved away from God, rather than Him departing from me. I have learned that there are some simple things within my control that can bring me back into the light.

A few years ago in Virginia, after a major snow storm, I was plowing snow with my garden tractor, clearing our road and some of my neighbors’ driveways. As I was plowing the entrance to the driveway of a neighbor, he came out to thank me and talk awhile, but I could not hear him. He yelled something to me, raising his voice so I could hear above the noise of the tractor. I had a hard time hearing what he was trying to say to me. Eventually, I turned off the tractor and we were able to carry on an effective and meaningful conversation in normal voice.

Sometimes when I am having a hard time getting the guidance and inspiration from the Lord that I seek, I recognize that my hearing and ability to feel are being interfered with by too much worldly noise around me. This noise may take on any number of forms, such as work, hobbies, personal goals, television, sports, video games, worries about money, etc.  I find that if I will, as the prophet Spencer W. Kimball counseled, immerse myself in the scriptures, the noise lessens, my prayers become deeper,  and the inspiration and divine communication returns. If you feel you cannot hear the voice of the Lord, try turning down the noise in your life and listen with greater focus. Seek out the voice and draw closer to it.

As a young man, I was once out on a horse pack trip with my father. As we traveled along, I noticed the pack on our pack horse was slipping to one side. The pack was unbalanced. I called forward to my dad, who was leading, and told him the horse’s packs were slipping and it looked like we were going to have to stop and unpack and re-pack the horse and to get the packs balanced. He looked back at the pack horse and told me to stop and pick up a rock about the size of a grapefruit and stick it in the pack on the light side to put things back into balance. Surprised at the simplicity of the solution, I did as instructed. The packs immediately began to ride evenly, the pack horse was again comfortable, and the trip continued uninterrupted.

Often, when I find myself having difficulty feeling the Spirit of the Lord and His blessing in my life, when it feels like I’m just not quite in tune with the Spirit, it is because my life is a little out of balance. Sometimes, my first instinct is to think I need to overhaul my life and get my priorities straight, when all I really need to do is to add a little weight to the part of my life that is a little “lighter” than it should be. Often, the solution is nothing more complicated than to add a little more priority to or put a little more effort into one aspect of my life, such as doing a little more in my calling in the church, putting in a little more effort at work, being a little kinder, spending a little more time in the service of others, spending more time with my wife, or maybe just taking a little more time to “stop and smell the roses.” My packs just need to be re-balanced by adding a little more weight to the side that is too light.

I have a friend, with whom I often ride horses. He related to me a life-lesson he learned while on his horse. He told me that he often rides a particular trail near his home. For a long time there was a particular tree that had a particular branch sticking out over the trail. Each time he would pass that tree, my friend would try to get his horse to move to the side of the trail so he could avoid the branch. Usually, the horse would step the wrong way or fail to move over at all and time after time my friend would have to grab the branch with his hand and push it out of the way. On one occasion, as he tried to grab the branch, it slipped out of his hand and tore his shirt. Angry at himself, he stopped the horse, got down, and went back and cut the branch off and threw it aside.

He said, “Sometimes you just have to cut the branch off!”

There are often distractions in our lives, whether they be bad habits, unrepented sins, or addictions, that cause us to lose focus or move away from those things that are truly precious in our lives. Sometimes we need to stop just working around them and just cut those things out of our lives, so that our vision again becomes clear and the Spirit of the Lord can return to our lives and homes.

In D&C 88:63, we read:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.”

I want to leave my testimony with you, that I know our Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us. I know also that He is much more involved in our lives than we know. He is all knowing, all loving, and all powerful, so I trust that when I am living as I should, striving to keep His commandments and honor the covenants I have made with Him, and truly seeking to hear His voice, He will guide my footsteps and lead me in the paths of righteousness. That may not always be the easy road, but it will be His road and in the end I will find joy in His presence.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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It’s a Small World After All

A while back I was visited by one of my life-long best friends. We hadn’t seen each other in quite a few years and it was nice to get back together. He and his wife and I and mine, went out to dinner then back to the house, where we talked the night away.

Dan and I were best friends from our sophomore years in high school in Tucson, Arizona. He and I roomed together for a semester or two at college. When he married, I was the Best Man at his wedding and he was the same at mine. Since then we have gone our separate ways, but have tried to cross paths now and then. In recent years we have sort of kept up with each other through online social media, but haven’t done a very good job of it. It was nice to see him and his wife again. What a joy it was to reminisce together over old times.

What a surprise it was to learn, during this visit, that his wife is the sister of one of my friends at church here in Salem, Utah! What a small world this is!

That got me to thinking about the many times I have come across people who know people I know, or are related to me in some way, even in places far from home…or anywhere I have ever called home.

For instance, in 2015, as my father and I were preparing to embark on a cross-country (Mexico to Canada) horse pack trip we had dreamed and talked of for years, I advertised on my website, westerntrailrider.com, that anybody who wanted to join us for any portion of our trip was welcome to do so. I received one single response. That was from a fellow in Safford, Arizona, who said he’d like to join us for a few days as we passed through southeastern Arizona.

We began to communicate via email about routes and where we might meet up, stage feed, and other issues. As it turned out, he was an officer of the U.S. Border Patrol, who operated in southeastern Arizona as part of the USBP mounted patrol. He was intimately familiar with the trails through and around the Chiricahua Mountains, which we planned to traverse. This officer, Joshua, was able to recommend much better routes through the mountains than I had selected from my out-dated maps.

The week before our start date, Dad and I headed down to Safford to meet Joshua and make final plans for the trip. When we got there he introduced us to Al, who volunteered to come along as well. We were glad to have him. Later on in the trip, Al proved to be our salvation, as we ran into an emergency he was able to help us through.

Josh and Al were able to successfully guide us through the Chiricahuas, keeping us off the routes normally traveled by drug traffickers and other “undocumented immigrants”. Joshua was also instrumental in helping me communicate with other USBP officials along the route, who helped us obtain permission for travel across several sections of private property and keep us out of trouble along the US/Mexico border.

Then, during 2016, as Dad and I prepared to continue our horse pack trip into northern Arizona, we invited Josh to come along with us again. He wanted to, but couldn’t, due to other commitments. During those communications, my younger sister, Crystal, noticed his last name. Using social media, Crystal was able to find that she had several common acquaintances with Joshua. On further searching, it turned out Joshua has a younger sister who is married to the younger brother of Crystal’s husband.

How about that! All this time Joshua and I were related (well, sort of) and neither of us knew!

While on the horse pack trip in 2015, a few days after we said good bye to Josh and Al, Dad and I were coming up out of a creek bed wondering which direction we should go at a fork in the trail. We happened to meet a hiker coming the other direction. We stopped and said hello and talked for a few minutes, when I suddenly recognized him as a man with whom I had  communicated with by email nearly two years earlier!  He is a long-distance hiker and was the designer of the trail known as the Grand Enchantment Trail through southeastern Arizona and western New Mexico. I had posted some questions on a forum in about 2013 about trails through southern Arizona, as I planned our big horse pack trip and this fellow responded and gave me very good advice about routes we might consider. We ended up following some of the routes he suggested. What a surprise when we met him on the trail there in southeastern Arizona, right where we needed him to be. Once again, he provided just the advice we needed and we headed happily on our way. As it turned out later, had we not found him and gotten directions from him at that moment, we would have ended up several miles further along coming up against a locked gate with no way around it.

Then, there was the time I was sitting in the dentist’s chair in Salem, Utah, where Linda and I had resided only about a year and a half. The fact is, Linda and I had never lived in Utah before, except for a few short months during our college years. We moved to Salem, Utah in December 2014 to be closer to our children and grandkids, in our retirement years.

So, here I was, sitting in the dentist’s chair talking to the hygienist as she began cleaning my teeth and preparing me for the dentist. As we talked, I mentioned my horses and the big horse pack trip my dad and I were attempting. She mentioned that for a short period she had lived in Tucson, Arizona, just prior to her college experience. Curiously, she was from Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area, and was familiar with the area where Linda and I had lived for a short time during 2007-08. I asked her about Tucson, mentioning that I had lived there during my high school years.

She said her family had lived on the northeast side of Tucson. I said I had as well. I mentioned my high school, Sabino, and she said her younger brother had attended there, but she had not, because it was a new school and had no senior class yet. Surprised, I said there was no senior class when I started there and that I graduated as part of Sabino’s second graduating class. I asked where she had lived. She could not recall the address, but remembered the names of some nearby roads. I knew all the roads she mentioned. She said all the homes in the area were on about five-acre lots and many people had horses. I told her our house was on five acres and we had a small barn with horse stalls and kept some horses ourselves.

When I tried to recall the name of the road we lived on and our house number, I found I just couldn’t bring them to mind. She recalled that the name of the road was in Spanish and was “Colina” or something like that. That name turned the switch in my head and I remembered our address, 2901 Avenida de la Colina! When I said the address, her eyes opened wide in surprise.

As it turned out, my parents had purchased our home from her parents. She had just gone off back to Pennsylvania to college, her younger brother had transferred to another school, and her family had decided to down-size and move into town.

Coincidentally, her family owned two dogs at the time, a small dog and a large Black Laborador. They could only keep one dog at the townhouse, so they were looking for a home for the Lab. When we bought the house, I talked my parents into letting me keep the dog. So, not only did my family buy her family’s home, but her dog had become my dog, all those long years ago in 1975.

That dog, whose name I changed from Prince to Tar, became one of my most cherished companions and friends.

What a small world this is.

Photo courtesy of Mecpaths (https://mecpaths.ie/2018/04/22/world-earth-day-2018/where-in-the-world/)

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Thinking About Life and Things on This Easter Sunday

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to visit Israel. I was privileged to walk the streets of Old Jerusalem and see many of the sites held by much of the world to be holy places.

Ancient olive trees, dating back to about the time of Christ

Among those sites were the remains of what is believed to have been the Garden of Gethsemane, where our Lord suffered and bled from every pore, the hall where He was judged of the world and condemned to die, and the hill that is believed to be Golgotha.

 

 

The Garden Tomb

I also visited the Garden Tomb, where we believe the mortal body of our Lord, Jesus Christ was laid to rest after the crucifixion. It was a beautiful restful place and I was blessed to have arrived late, after the tours had left, and spent about a half hour alone there, contemplating the scriptures.

The door to the Garden Tomb is open. All who desire, may enter therein and look upon the place where our Lord and Savior once lay, and contemplate the words of the angel, “He is not here. He is risen!”

Herod’s Tomb

I also visited the place where the Tetrarch Herod was laid to rest, outside the walls of Old Jerusalem. His tomb is built below ground level. While there is a huge round stone rolled to the side, which once sealed the entrance to the tomb, the doorway remains sealed by an iron door. The surrounding grounds lay in ruins.

I thought how like our lives are these two tombs. Christ broke the bands of death and thereby all mankind will be resurrected from death and will become immortal. The stone has been irrevocably rolled away. However, only through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance of our sins will the tomb truly be opened that we may inherit the Eternal Life He offers. Those whose hearts are lost in the vanity of the world will remain locked behind the iron door, their eternal salvation estopped forever.

The Iron Door

The Savior rolled away the stone. The iron door is ours to open or leave shut. We have the key. He gave it to us.

 

May we all enjoy peace and rest on this Easter Morning.

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Arguments and Evidence

I have been accused many times of being strongly opinionated, to the degree that I have offended many people in my lifetime, many of whom I love and admire. I have often projected my opinions, beliefs, and knowledge as indisputable facts, based upon my research, experience, intuition, and sometimes even off-handed thought. I have never lacked for confidence in myself. I was raised that way. It has served me well.  However, that self-confidence has often fostered in me an attitude of arrogance, even condescension toward ideas that run counter and sometimes even parallel to my own.

When I first began to recognize this, in my late teens, my attitude was essentially, “like it or lump it.” As I matured, I began to try not to be so abrasive when expressing my opinions or countering another’s assertions. I would “try to put it kindly,” while telling people they didn’t know what they were talking about. I became condescending in my arrogance. Some folks call that tact (Tact: The ability to tell someone to go to Hell, and have them thank you for it).  Later in life (I hope not too late), I began to realize that I am not always right, and that even when I am right at the moment, that can change. I learned that there is something I can learn from everyone, and further, that I needed to learn from everyone. I began to place more value on what others thought, believed, and knew, not only for my own education, but to help them add to theirs, if I could. I try to listen to their thoughts, offer my own, then take from it what I will and let them do the same. I’m still not very good at it. Old habits are hard to change. I find it easier while writing than in actual conversation.

Now, in my late-fifties, I have developed this overwhelming humility…yeah, right!

Better said, I have learned a few things over the years about what I know and what others know.

“…Think it Possible that You May Be Mistaken“

I once heard a quote from Oliver Cromwell that greatly affected me and has helped me soften my arrogance. He wrote to the synod of the Church of Scotland in 1650, “…think it possible that you may be mistaken.” I have learned over the years that no matter what the evidence indicates, whether scientific, empirical evidence, eye-witness, or other circumstantial evidence, everything can change. Things seen in the dark may appear much different by the light of day. A thing related by one eye-witness, may be supported or contradicted by additional eye-witnesses. Conclusions reached by analysis of hard evidence may be altered by other evidence later discovered. Evidence interpreted in the light of limited knowledge may not produce the same conclusions with increased knowledge. Consider the three blind men disagreeing on the description of an elephant while groping its form: One described it as being like a long, flexible hose; the second described it as being like a huge tree trunk; the third described it as being like a wall. They were all correct…and they were all wrong.

People Change Their Own Minds

You can’t change a person’s mind. They must do it themselves. You can’t convince someone they are wrong, no matter how overwhelming the evidence may be. People have arrived at their conclusions, beliefs, etc., through a process of thought, discussion, experience, decision-making, and other means, and they don’t toss those things aside easily. No matter how illogical or ill-conceived their ideas may seem to you, they have developed those ideas through the best mental resources they have at their disposal, or at least the best they felt necessary to allocate to the process (note that I did not say the best information available, just the best mental resources). No matter how correct, convincing, and well-founded your arguments may be, people are not going to give up their conclusions just on your say-so. It is a personal pride thing and is directly related to the natural survival instincts in human beings. It is not necessarily a bad thing, as it keeps people from being too easily swayed…as the waves of the sea. If not disciplined, however, it will inhibit personal growth on all levels.

In the final analysis, direct contradictory argument seldom works to anyone’s benefit. However, people can be led to change their minds.  For instance, John (fictitious) says gravity has no effect on his airplane.  “See? It flies, therefore it defies gravity.”  You ask him to explain how it flies.  He carefully explains that as the airplane flies the shape of the wings causes the air to flow faster over the wings than under, causing lower pressure above the wing, which lifts the aircraft, defying gravity.  You ask if that is why he ties it down when he is not flying it.  He responds, “Well, maybe gravity does have some effect on it under some circumstances.” So, he has started to realize that it is possible that he may be mistaken. He is beginning to adjust his thoughts and change his own mind in light of new information he is considering. In order to lead someone to change their mind, one must present information in such a way that the person desires to consider it. No one likes a slap in the face, whereas “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” A wise man once framed the couplet:

A mind that’s changed against its will
Is of the same opinion still

The Competition

Being “right” is more important to many people, subconsciously, than being correct. Many times people really don’t care whether their conclusions are based in truth or not. They are simply expressing emotions and making conversation. When you tell them they are wrong, they begin the competition to see who will end up the winner. In order to win, they have to be “right”. And you know what? It seldom matters who wins. Neither side is likely to change their mind. If you wish to effect any change, you must first determine what motivates people to say things. If you can determine why they actually say what they say, you have a chance of leading them to change their mind…or not.

Pick your battles well. If they are motivated by emotion or simply to show folks how intelligent they are, you are not going to win. The more absurd their argument and evidence, the less likely you are to win. And the more you argue such a point, the more absurd it will become, because people tend to present their best evidence first, and it goes downhill from there. It has little to do with truth, or knowledge, or any other rational matter. It has to do with winning the argument, being “right”, and thereby protecting themselves.

Condescension in Arrogance

 Someone recently told me that when I talk about religious issues, I have the “luxury” of saying “we believe”, thereby diffusing responsibility and accountability, and passing things off as mere belief or faith rather than having the burden, of basing arguments in fact. Consider for a minute whether it is easier to argue that 2+2=4 or whether childlike faith can save one’s soul or whether faith can move mountains. I can tell you with certainty that all these assertions are factually true. However, whereas one can easily test the mathematical conclusion by simply counting his fingers, in order to test the other conclusions, one must actually develop faith. I see no “luxury” there; on the contrary, I would say he has the luxury of using evidence people can see and touch in making his arguments. However, he must agree that truth is truth, whether easily demonstrated or not.

For those who have, in fact, received evidence from outside the mortal realm, there is no conflict with science, insofar as science itself is concerned. There is a realization, however, that science is scratching a very small part of the mere surface of a very large sphere. For those who have not received such spiritual revelation, it is foolishness to disregard an entire category of evidence simply because they have not received it and arrogance to assume that all who say they have received such are gullible, uneducated, deceived, mistaken, or dishonest. There are some pretty smart and pretty good folks out there who are believers. Just look around. They are easy to find.

I remember something about a short story I was once told. It was about a young boy who learned, as he grew up, to talk to the animals and they would talk to him. When this became known among his friends and kinfolk they, at first, tried to convince him it could not be so, believing themselves to be helpful and charitable. Animals cannot talk to people, they said. Yet, as he maintained that he, in fact, could talk to them and they to him, their concern turned to rejection and they shunned and persecuted him.  In his loneliness and wonder at this, the boy lamented, “How can you know that animals can’t talk, just because they haven’t spoken to you?”

What I think the person mentioned above was expressing, was his feeling that one who argues in favor of a religious ideology has no means to prove his argument and, therefore, no accountability, because the evidence is not real, whereas he must contend with evidence that has meaning in the real world. His statement was intended to distinguish between the making of a scientific argument and the responsibility one has to support his argument with true, factual information, as opposed to a religious argument that deals with evidence and conclusions he sees as simply ethereal, emotional, unprovable. He feels the entire religious argument and conclusion is, therefore, meaningless, except in ways which science has proven it to be beneficial to the human psyche and related health issues. He therefore feels there is no true responsibility or accountability associated with it.  Although he tries to hide it, so as not to offend, it is often quite clear that he believes his superior intelligence allows him to see above and beyond religion. He believes that those who profess faith in God have closed their minds to science. I submit that the truth is quite the opposite. While most educated religionists with whom I am acquainted accept science wholeheartedly, my friend the scientist closes his mind to the infinite possibilities that lie outside what has been discovered by human kind. He prefers to wait until a scientist discovers things before he will believe them.

One simple definition of faith might be this: To believe in and act on things that are true, but have yet to be proven by science.

To properly evaluate the validity of an argument, one must properly evaluate and test the evidence and the application of the evidence to the conclusion. The proper evaluation, testing, and analysis of any scientific evidence requires adherence to very specific and restrictive protocols in order for the results to be deemed valid in the scientific community. Is it consistent for one to apply a lesser standard to test religious argument? No. One cannot simply make up his own rules and expect results consistent with those who have, in fact, followed the prescribed protocols and procedures, whether in science or religion.

The simple fact is, with regard to scientific and religious information, most of us must rely on information discovered by someone else. Proponents of neither discipline can legitimately disparage the arguments and evidence put forward by proponents of the other without having first conducted research of their own that is consistent with proper evaluation, testing, and analytical procedures and protocols pertinent to that discipline. Applying scientific analytical process to religious matters will produce no better results than the application of religious analytical process to science. They are not entirely unrelated, but science deals with that which has been discovered and can be quantified in this world. Religion deals with that which has yet to be discovered and may not be quantifiable in this world at this time. While science requires knowledge, religion requires faith. Both require comprehension and understanding.

Sometimes we believe our evidence, argument, and conclusions, and even intelligence, to be superior to someone else’s, when, in fact, they may simply be different, and all may change with further light and knowledge. To proclaim the evidences and/or conclusions put forth by anyone to be faulty without properly affording them the evaluation, testing, and analysis they require is simply arrogant. To attempt to be inoffensive and helpful while dismissing them as such, is condescendingly arrogant.

Conclusion

Things I try to remember:  Always try to learn something from others. Accept and remember that no matter who they are and regardless of their circumstances, education, or their beliefs, everyone knows something I can learn from them. If I try to find out what that is I may be led to change my mind. Don’t be arrogant. And, above all,

“Think it possible that you may be mistaken.”

 

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Me in the Universe

When I look at a photograph like this one of the Sombrero Galaxy, and recognize that it really is a photograph, not a computer-generated image, or a painting, or something merely imagined in an artist’s mind, it amazes me and makes me feel very small.

The Sombrero Galaxy is aproximately 29.3 million light years from earth and about 50,000 light years in diameter. It’s center is estimated to be 1 billion times as dense as our sun. Our earth, in comparison, would not be as large as the finest possible needle prick on this image. The light we see here in this image left the Sombrero Galaxy more than 29 million ago. We are looking more than 29 million years into the past.

As I look upon images of the vastness of space, and consider the glorious heavenly bodies therein and the measures of distance and time that are beyond my comprehension, it seems to me incomprehensible that life itself should not be eternal. I am led to ask, as did the psalmist:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. ” (Psalms 8:3-5)

Where was I when the light in this image first departed the Sombrero Galaxy? What was I doing? Where will I be when today’s light from our earth reaches 29.3 mega-light years into space? What will I be doing? What will life be like then? How those thoughts bring into focus the infinitely short duration and eternal significance of my time here on earth.

When I look at such images, the statement of Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, takes on greater meaning for me:

“…while we may look at the vast expanse of the universe and say, “What is man in comparison to the glory of creation?” God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters.

This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.”

It is “God’s great desire” to help us return to Him, to inherit all He has created for us. As the psalmist said, we are “children of the most High.” (Psalm 82:6). How comforting that is in my smallness in the universe.

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To Believe or Not to Believe…

I recently read a blog post by my son. In his post, he referenced an article by Sam Harris, entitled The Fireplace Delusion.  I read the Harris article with some interest and thought I’d post my response to it.

Here’s how it begins:

“It seems to me that many nonbelievers have forgotten—or never knew—what it is like to suffer an unhappy collision with scientific rationality. We are open to good evidence and sound argument as a matter of principle, and are generally willing to follow wherever they may lead. Certain of us have made careers out of bemoaning the failure of religious people to adopt this same attitude.”

Harris analogized religious argument to the common perception that a warm fire in the hearth is a comforting and “wholesome” thing, and that people will irrationally argue its merits and benefits, despite the fact that science has proven that fire, in itself, is a harmful, pernicious, and unhealthful thing. He goes so far as to say that, in view of advances in technology, those who burn wood, do so “recreationally”, rather than from any possible benefit or need, and that doing so should be outlawed. He rejects any opposing view as irrational, based on scientific evidence.

I found Harris’ article and analogy interesting, but not compelling. His argument, as I read it, is basically that religious people irrationally defend that which they believe, despite the fact that science proves religion false, and that for this reason non-believers face only irrational argument from believers and must therefore feel disadvantaged (implied in his closing statement). He applies his logic to believers in religion vs. non-believers, apparently equating non-believers to those educated in science, and believers to the close-minded and self-deceived, who defend falsehood in spite of absolute evidence to the contrary.

It is apparent Harris’ intended audience is the body of non-believers who consider religion to be false and irrational. His argument is founded in three assumptions that preexist his argument. The first two are obvious and are set out in the introduction to his article. First, he presupposes that those who are non-believers espouse good evidence and sound reasoning “as a matter of principle” and generally follow wherever it leads. Second, he asserts that those who profess religion do not. He seems to be attempting to console non-believers, who lament the fact that they cannot convince a religious person of the error of their thinking, by explaining that rational arguments are ineffective against them; they do not desire, nor will they accept sound reasoning or good evidence contrary to their beliefs.

The third presumption is not obviously stated, but is as evident as the first two. He presumes, before all, that religion is false, irrational, and not founded in scientific reality. All his rationale simply disintegrates in the face of the possibility that any religion may be true. In fact, if any religion is true, then the same presumptions he applies above can be stated otherwise with equal validity as: Those who disbelieve the true religious principles, do so despite good evidence and sound reasoning, do not desire such, and they will not follow where such leads. Harris’ fireplace analogy can be applied equally in the case of believers in false religious doctrine as in the case of believers in faulty scientific conclusions. However it fails in the case of true religious doctrine and principles.

Harris’ analogy fails to address the fact that there are renowned scientists who have made momentous scientific discoveries, who are also very religious. He also discounts the fact that the same analogy may be applied equally to the non-believing scientific community, who simply disregard any evidence that they have not measured, quantified, labeled, and manipulated. So, he paints non-believers with the broad brush of being open-minded and rational as a matter of principle, while using the same brush to paint believers as being close-minded and irrational, disallowing the possibility that either side might go either direction depending on the topic at hand (for instance, the scientist who is afraid of harmless snakes). Following this logic, one must assume that a scientist, regardless of renown or scientific accomplishments, who is also religious, must not be open-minded and rational “as a matter of principle,” nor willing to follow where open-mindedness and rational thinking leads.

A favorite quote of my son comes to mind: “The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

One cannot simply state, as Harris has implied, that people believe in religion only because it is comforting, or that believing in religious doctrines is equivalent to being unscientific, uneducated, or irrational, without applying the same parameters to non-believers, whether scientists or not, and still comply with the argument he himself has presented by his analogy.

Mr. Harris’s analogy, contrary to his intent, I’m sure, is effective in showing how all people, including himself, regardless of whether they believe in religion or not, irrespective of their avocation, education, or belief system, feel the same emotional need to defend their beliefs and values; interestingly, that same characteristic demonstrated by his writing the article. We tend to see in others that which we find in ourselves. I’m sure, if he were to read this response, he would find humor in the fact that, as he read, he was developing in his mind arguments to refute it and support his own assertions, despite the fact that his original conclusions are admittedly based upon his “extensive research” at “dinner parties”.

A true scientist does not reject or deny the possibility of evidence he/she has not yet discovered. Neither does a true scientist expect to arrive at valid scientific conclusions without research and experimentation following proper scientific methodology. At the same time, all scientists accept and apply information they receive from sources other than themselves, sources they have vetted and trust, and they recognize the verity that they cannot possibly discover it all for themselves. They must believe somebody. True religionists follow these same principles.

As I would not expect to make any valid scientific discovery without following the prescribed protocols of science, I would neither expect to discover any religious verities without following the prescribed protocols of religion. Neither would I disregard the occasional fortuitous accident, or miracle, by which either scientific or religious knowledge may be obtained. Nor do I regard scientific knowledge as being separate and distinct from my religious beliefs. Harris, judging by the entirety of his article and not just the analogy, seems to discount completely that there may, in the final analysis, be no difference in true religious doctrine and scientific knowledge, or the possibility that in some future day all rational thought must include a knowledge of the existence and workings of God.

The value of faith is the ability to live according to true principles not yet discovered nor explainable by science. Those who can do so benefit by living according to those true principles, while those who disregard faith must wait until a true principle is discovered by science before they or their followers can benefit. Who, then, is close-minded? The believer who lives true principles only by faith, or the non-believer who discounts the existence of true principles not yet discovered and proven by science.

There really is no difference in the rejection of true principles, regardless of whether they are based in faith or scientific knowledge. Both are irrational. Similarly, it is no more rational to disregard the possibility that current scientific knowledge may be faulty or incomplete, than blindly to believe in false religious principles.

The key to true knowledge and wisdom is to seek it on its own terms, regardless of the source, and to follow where it leads…as a matter of principle.

It appears Harris’ mind is closed on the matter.

As he put it, “And that should give you some sense of what we are up against whenever we confront religion.”

I must admit, however, that he convinced me that a wood-burning fireplace is unhealthful.