I repeatedly hear phrases such as the following, and they really provoke my curiosity:
- "Mormons = Republicans."
- "If you're Baptist, how could you vote for a Democrat?"
- "I don't believe in God, so I'm not going to vote for a Christian..."
Tell me, now, in all seriousness. Can a person really say these things? Are people so ignorant as to actually hold such positions? Because Romney was Mormon, people disliked him. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, got his share too. Now, people are already focusing in on the religion and morals of John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Why?
Moral issues, moral political issues, are one thing. It is important to have a solid stand on abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell research, separation of church and state, and all such countless issues regarding morality or religion. Of course it is. But here's the catch: don't let the candidates religion, or lack thereof, decide your vote. Decide it upon their stances on the issues!
When people use stereotypical labels to vote with - when they vote for a person's religious affiliation, color of skin, race, heritage, or party label, are they not being close minded and shallow? Or do people simply not understand this concept?
My firm belief is that an election, especially one as important as this race for the Presidency of the united States of America, is not a question that should be decided upon based on any one of those characteristics alone. Focus on the candidate. Their positions, stances, ideas, and promises.
Yes, I vote mostly Republican. But I guarantee you that if the Republican candidate seems unfit, I would vote another direction. And yes, I am Mormon - but I would not have chosen Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nominee, had I a say. I do not consider myself to be held captive by those chains of fallaciousness, but would rather use my mind (whether that's a good thing or a bad one for anyone else, haha) to mull it over and come to my own decision on matters.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Life, the Universe, and Everything
What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? Well, contrary to what some say, it isn't "42" (I never understood the significance of that number, but perhaps the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy knows... Mr. Adams?). I think that life has an extraordinary meaning, as does everything. Everything has a purpose, a reason to exist. Humans, in my humble opinion, exist because God wished us to, first and foremost. But let's go into more depth.
Before The World Began
Before Earth as we know it existed, God was there. Yet, people of varying faiths believe that our spirits existed, as well. This is my belief. We existed, as the spirit children of the Father, but we did not have physical forms. We were present, we were aware, and we were ready. Ready to progress. The Earth was created. There was a great war in Heaven, as Lucifer, Son of the Morning, rebelled against the Father. His wish was to be glorified and exalted above God, and he was charismatic - a third of the host of heaven followed him. He was cast down into the Earth, along with his legions, and those fallen angels remain spirit beings to this day, never to take physical form. And the heavens wept at the loss.
The Big Bang
The old Christian joke is that we believe in the Big Bang theory: God commanded it, and *BANG* it happened!
Levity aside, it happened. Jesus was in charge of the shaping of the Earth, and of Creation. The world was shaped in seven days. The creatures, the life of Earth were formed. The world began. And then, it was time: Humans were created, and the first spirits passed through the Veil, to become human. The premortal spirits agreed to face the trials of Earth, and agreed to do it without knowledge of their former selves - to go through mortality without a memory of the premortal existence.
Humanity and the Lack Thereof
Of course, humanity had flaws. Everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve, even those who do not adhere to the plethora of religions who follow the story of the first people. Sin was introduced into humanity. Humankind fell, so that, through their own decisions, free will (the ability to chose) and free agency (the ability to carry out one's own decisions), humanity could determine its own course.
You might ask why this is a good thing. Look at the world today; wars, plagues, murder, lies, deceit, immorality, anger, hatred, and sin in general permeate every aspect of living. Why, how can this possibly be a good thing? It is not. But it does present us with clear, and often times, difficult, choices. Will we choose the right, or will we fall away into the darkness? We are capable, as people, of passing this test of Mortality. Mortality is the pivotal point of our existence. It is not the pinnacle of our eternal lives, to be sure, but it is the turning point. The point of no return. Crunch time. The fate of the rest of our lives eternal swing upon the scant few years that we live and breath upon this earth.
Will we live well, and follow the path that will lead us to eternity in happiness? Or will we settle for whatever comes, and live in sin and wrongdoing?
Beyond the Veil
I propose that this very question is the reason for mortal existence. Mortality allows us to choose where we wish to spend eternity. Once we pass back through the veil, will it be to outer darkness, to be cast out along with Lucifer and his angels? Will it be to a lesser existence, where we will always wonder what it might have been like to live with, and as, Jesus Christ, and the Father in Heaven? Or will we return to the Father, and hear the words "Well done" - and live eternally to our utmost full potential?
It is entirely up to each of us which path we will choose. However, as Joshua of old said:
Before The World Began
Before Earth as we know it existed, God was there. Yet, people of varying faiths believe that our spirits existed, as well. This is my belief. We existed, as the spirit children of the Father, but we did not have physical forms. We were present, we were aware, and we were ready. Ready to progress. The Earth was created. There was a great war in Heaven, as Lucifer, Son of the Morning, rebelled against the Father. His wish was to be glorified and exalted above God, and he was charismatic - a third of the host of heaven followed him. He was cast down into the Earth, along with his legions, and those fallen angels remain spirit beings to this day, never to take physical form. And the heavens wept at the loss.
The Big Bang
The old Christian joke is that we believe in the Big Bang theory: God commanded it, and *BANG* it happened!
Levity aside, it happened. Jesus was in charge of the shaping of the Earth, and of Creation. The world was shaped in seven days. The creatures, the life of Earth were formed. The world began. And then, it was time: Humans were created, and the first spirits passed through the Veil, to become human. The premortal spirits agreed to face the trials of Earth, and agreed to do it without knowledge of their former selves - to go through mortality without a memory of the premortal existence.
Humanity and the Lack Thereof
Of course, humanity had flaws. Everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve, even those who do not adhere to the plethora of religions who follow the story of the first people. Sin was introduced into humanity. Humankind fell, so that, through their own decisions, free will (the ability to chose) and free agency (the ability to carry out one's own decisions), humanity could determine its own course.
You might ask why this is a good thing. Look at the world today; wars, plagues, murder, lies, deceit, immorality, anger, hatred, and sin in general permeate every aspect of living. Why, how can this possibly be a good thing? It is not. But it does present us with clear, and often times, difficult, choices. Will we choose the right, or will we fall away into the darkness? We are capable, as people, of passing this test of Mortality. Mortality is the pivotal point of our existence. It is not the pinnacle of our eternal lives, to be sure, but it is the turning point. The point of no return. Crunch time. The fate of the rest of our lives eternal swing upon the scant few years that we live and breath upon this earth.
Will we live well, and follow the path that will lead us to eternity in happiness? Or will we settle for whatever comes, and live in sin and wrongdoing?
Beyond the Veil
I propose that this very question is the reason for mortal existence. Mortality allows us to choose where we wish to spend eternity. Once we pass back through the veil, will it be to outer darkness, to be cast out along with Lucifer and his angels? Will it be to a lesser existence, where we will always wonder what it might have been like to live with, and as, Jesus Christ, and the Father in Heaven? Or will we return to the Father, and hear the words "Well done" - and live eternally to our utmost full potential?
It is entirely up to each of us which path we will choose. However, as Joshua of old said:
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve... ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
- Joshua 24:15, KJV
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Firstly, let me apologize quite profusely for my absence of several months. Many things have been happening in the "Real World" in addition to having some rather odd Internet problems. However, this account has been rebuilt and the blog restored, and ready to more forward once more.
Now, on to the topic of the series of posts I am about to begin. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known to much of the world as 'the Mormons'). I would like to delve into the issues behind the rather vehement dislike, spite, and even hatred that is consistently shown to the Church as a body by other Christian denominations. But first, for today, I would like to educate those who do not know the basics - for I believe strongly that this is a good part of the problem - people simply do not know what other denominations believe, something that is especially true when speaking of the LDS church, and therefore they believe what they are told by misinformed or malicious others. This is not out of enmity on the part of some of these people, but merely ignorance. So, here are some basic facts I think that educated people ought to know about the Church:
- The Church believes in Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God, who came to earth, performed miracles, suffered, died, and was resurrected, atoning for the sins of us all. Many teach that the Church does not believe in Christ. On the contrary, he is the epicenter of our faith.
- The Church believes in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit, of course, is believed in by many and most Christian sects. We believe that his influence can touch anyone, but that a person who is given the gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the right to have him with them always (as long as they are worthy of his presence) will have the Spirit with them incessantly, whereas before they only had his influence from time to time. This point, as Joseph Smith said something about, really contains all of the differences that separate the Church from other Christian faiths.
- The Church believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The membership does NOT worship Joseph Smith. This rumor saturates many, many uneducated conversations and statements about the Church, but it is simply not true. Joseph Smith was a great man, and a prophet, and was the one through whom God chose to restore the Church to the earth - but he is not, I say again, not, revered above Christ.
- The Book of Mormon is a record of the peoples who lived and died in the Americas during the time of part of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The records were kept upon many plates, or sheets of metal, and were passed down from generation to generation. The second to last writer of the book took the rest of them, abridged the whole bit onto plates of gold. This, in addition to the last writer (Moroni) is what Joseph Smith found (with the help of an angel) and translated (by the power of the Holy Ghost). He did not write the book, he merely translated it. It is called after its abridger, Mormon. This is where the nickname comes from ("The Mormons") not the other way around.
- The Church does not condone polygamy. Some members, when the Church was restored, did practice it. Many have, throughout generations, including key Biblical characters. It isn't unique to this Church. However, in this day and age, such a practice is not reasonable. The leader of the Church at one point told the Saints that the practice would be punishable by law, suggested that they not practice it, and made clear that the Church does not condone it.
- The Church is led by The Quorum of the Seventy, which is superseded by the Quorum of the Twelve (Apostles), which is superseded by the First Presidency. The First Presidency is made up of the President of the Church - the man who is the living prophet of God on the earth today - and his two councilors, all of whom are apostles themselves. These 15 apostles are the absolute authority in the Church, and the President is of course the head of these. The current President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Gordon B. Hinckley.
Now, on to the topic of the series of posts I am about to begin. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known to much of the world as 'the Mormons'). I would like to delve into the issues behind the rather vehement dislike, spite, and even hatred that is consistently shown to the Church as a body by other Christian denominations. But first, for today, I would like to educate those who do not know the basics - for I believe strongly that this is a good part of the problem - people simply do not know what other denominations believe, something that is especially true when speaking of the LDS church, and therefore they believe what they are told by misinformed or malicious others. This is not out of enmity on the part of some of these people, but merely ignorance. So, here are some basic facts I think that educated people ought to know about the Church:
- The Church believes in Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten Son of God, who came to earth, performed miracles, suffered, died, and was resurrected, atoning for the sins of us all. Many teach that the Church does not believe in Christ. On the contrary, he is the epicenter of our faith.
- The Church believes in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit, of course, is believed in by many and most Christian sects. We believe that his influence can touch anyone, but that a person who is given the gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the right to have him with them always (as long as they are worthy of his presence) will have the Spirit with them incessantly, whereas before they only had his influence from time to time. This point, as Joseph Smith said something about, really contains all of the differences that separate the Church from other Christian faiths.
- The Church believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The membership does NOT worship Joseph Smith. This rumor saturates many, many uneducated conversations and statements about the Church, but it is simply not true. Joseph Smith was a great man, and a prophet, and was the one through whom God chose to restore the Church to the earth - but he is not, I say again, not, revered above Christ.
- The Book of Mormon is a record of the peoples who lived and died in the Americas during the time of part of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The records were kept upon many plates, or sheets of metal, and were passed down from generation to generation. The second to last writer of the book took the rest of them, abridged the whole bit onto plates of gold. This, in addition to the last writer (Moroni) is what Joseph Smith found (with the help of an angel) and translated (by the power of the Holy Ghost). He did not write the book, he merely translated it. It is called after its abridger, Mormon. This is where the nickname comes from ("The Mormons") not the other way around.
- The Church does not condone polygamy. Some members, when the Church was restored, did practice it. Many have, throughout generations, including key Biblical characters. It isn't unique to this Church. However, in this day and age, such a practice is not reasonable. The leader of the Church at one point told the Saints that the practice would be punishable by law, suggested that they not practice it, and made clear that the Church does not condone it.
- The Church is led by The Quorum of the Seventy, which is superseded by the Quorum of the Twelve (Apostles), which is superseded by the First Presidency. The First Presidency is made up of the President of the Church - the man who is the living prophet of God on the earth today - and his two councilors, all of whom are apostles themselves. These 15 apostles are the absolute authority in the Church, and the President is of course the head of these. The current President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Gordon B. Hinckley.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Bond of Marriage
The Bond of Marriage
Marriage. A word that conveys many meanings. Many of those are cultural. Many are social. Many are personal. But some are eternal.
Marriage is a covenant between a single man, a single woman, and Almighty God. A decision to be married, and the action that results from that, is supposed to be, if all was as it should be, the most important decision that a person could ever make in their life, possibly. But in today's society, it most certainly does not hold that sort of significance in the eyes of most.
Marriage is supposed to be the boundary for sexual activity. Within a marriage, sex and sexual activities are supposed to be amazing. They are encouraged. "Why does it feel so good if we aren't supposed to do it?" is a question many young people ask. The answer is simple - you are supposed to do it. Just within those realms of a holy, eternal union with one partner. These actions are for reproduction, physical and emotional pleasure, bonding on many levels, and a variety of other reasons. But the problem is that today's young people do not honor that covenant. A variety of excuses are used to facilitate sexual immorality, but none of them are valid. We are told straight up, without debate to meaning, not to fornicate or to be immoral, in the Holy Bible. This should be enough of a reason for Christians all around. But there are practical rationales behind this as well. Sexual activity before marriage makes marriage less of an important event. What separates marriage from dating or courtship, especially if the couple lives and sleeps together before marriage? A name change? There really is nothing. Sexual activity before marriage, especially if it is with multiple partners, will raise the risks of STI's and other forms of disease. Finally, it will also damage a person emotionally; some people more than others. A person who has been sexually intimate, in a loving way, will leave a piece of themselves with that relationship when they leave it, and it is not something that is retrievable. This damage is irrevocable, and can be minute or gigantic, depending on the emotional content of the relationship.
Another problem with society's view of marriage is divorce. Divorce rates are catastrophically high in American society today. Young people (The younger, the more likely) are really more likely to be divorced soon after marriage than not. This is a terrible thing, when most of them swear a vow before their spouse and God, stating 'til death do us part'. Due to marriages that occur when the couple is too immature, infatuated and not in love, or other issues, divorce rates continue to become worse. And divorce is a terrible thing, because a divorce causes an emotional rift as well as the obvious outer one. If children are involved, it forever alters their lives and usually damages them. Divorce on a whole is a problem that less people have within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, due to the difficulty in attaining an official divorce from the Church. A legal divorce can be performed as normal, but the Church would not recognize the end of that relationship in an eternal sense. However, divorces do still occur, and are usually for extreme reasons.
Speaking of eternity, that, really, is the ultimate idea behind marriage. The Church is one of the only religious organizations who teaches that, with absolute certainty, if the marriage is sealed in a temple, that the couple will be together... forever. Throughout eternity in the afterlife, as well as for our meager lives upon this planet (That we seem to value so very much while we are here). Why is it that the restrictions of marriage are so terrible to some? Why can a marriage not last? And why do people limit their marriages? I would certainly hope that, if I truly loved a woman enough to marry her and to bind myself to her, that I would be able to be with her for all of eternity, not just until death, which looms so eerily close to all of us.
Marriage is also something that people enter into too quickly, with a sense of rush about them, and perhaps with good reason. For, as mentioned above, our lives here are short - as described in Gladiator, they are merely "shadows and dust". Infatuation, as also mentioned above, is another huge factor. If two young people believe themselves to be in love, then it is difficult for anyone to convince them otherwise. The difficulty in this matter is that the decision really is up to the couple in question. Have they been dating long enough? Do they know each other well enough? Are they old enough? Mature enough? Can they do this, make this step? Do they really love each other? While we would all love to make this decisions for our children, friends, and family members, in the end, the knowledge is really theirs. If they search these things out, ponder them, and pray for guidance, they will know the proper course. In the end, those who are observing must simply give their advice and then allow the couple in question to make their decisions, and either succeed or fall as they might, and then be there to help them up again, if it can be done. The goal is, always, to preserve that holy covenant of marriage, and to fix any problems that arise, rather than chucking the whole thing.
This, indeed, is another issue in today's society. Arguments, problems, disagreements, infidelity, work issues, differing interests, health problems, and a whole range of other issues are common excuses for divorce. The problem is not that none of these are worthy of such extreme action. The problem is that usually, they are not. A real reason for a divorce does not come up often. Violence can be one of those. Infidelity. But some of the others are ridiculous, shallow reasons, and reflect perhaps the weakness of character or morals of one or both of the persons involved. If they had the courage to stick it out, and to try to cling to the relationship, and to fix things rather than just throwing them away, declared broken... they might find that relationships are indeed able to be mended in many cases.
Yet, the entire discussion is futile. For we do live in the latter days, although none know how exactly far along we are. And the world is corrupt. Most will agree on that as fact. We know that most of America is corrupt in ways. A good lady I spoke to recently said [paraphrase] that today's America makes places like the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah look like Disneyland. Unfortunately, while we laughed at that statement, it is probably correct. Is it likely, then, that society is really going to maintain a high marriage success rate? A low crime rate? Peace between nations? Etc, etc, etc... doubtful.
In summary, it is my conclusion, and my opinion - indeed, my certain belief, that marriage is a holy, nigh unbreakable covenant. One should be prepared to sacrifice anything to make the relationship work, and one should be overjoyed at the idea of eternity with this person. Because if marriage is allowed to extend to its fullest, that is indeed what it can be. A marriage sealed at the altar in a temple of God for all of time and eternity is a beautiful thing, and it is something that simply cannot be taken lightly. Marriage should be entered into with careful thought, prayer, and communication within the couple. Marriage should be a bond that is honored, cherished, defended. Fidelity should be clung to. Prayer, study of Scriptures, attendance of church, physical, emotional, and mental relations, quiet time together, and so many more things should be essential parts of life. For no other relationship will be so important. No other connection so sweet. No other companionship so vital. No other fragment of one's life, no other events, actions, ties, or bonds... none compare to the immortal and intrinsic value, sheer beauty, and extraordinary capacity for love that can be found within the bond of marriage.
Marriage. A word that conveys many meanings. Many of those are cultural. Many are social. Many are personal. But some are eternal.
Marriage is a covenant between a single man, a single woman, and Almighty God. A decision to be married, and the action that results from that, is supposed to be, if all was as it should be, the most important decision that a person could ever make in their life, possibly. But in today's society, it most certainly does not hold that sort of significance in the eyes of most.
Marriage is supposed to be the boundary for sexual activity. Within a marriage, sex and sexual activities are supposed to be amazing. They are encouraged. "Why does it feel so good if we aren't supposed to do it?" is a question many young people ask. The answer is simple - you are supposed to do it. Just within those realms of a holy, eternal union with one partner. These actions are for reproduction, physical and emotional pleasure, bonding on many levels, and a variety of other reasons. But the problem is that today's young people do not honor that covenant. A variety of excuses are used to facilitate sexual immorality, but none of them are valid. We are told straight up, without debate to meaning, not to fornicate or to be immoral, in the Holy Bible. This should be enough of a reason for Christians all around. But there are practical rationales behind this as well. Sexual activity before marriage makes marriage less of an important event. What separates marriage from dating or courtship, especially if the couple lives and sleeps together before marriage? A name change? There really is nothing. Sexual activity before marriage, especially if it is with multiple partners, will raise the risks of STI's and other forms of disease. Finally, it will also damage a person emotionally; some people more than others. A person who has been sexually intimate, in a loving way, will leave a piece of themselves with that relationship when they leave it, and it is not something that is retrievable. This damage is irrevocable, and can be minute or gigantic, depending on the emotional content of the relationship.
Another problem with society's view of marriage is divorce. Divorce rates are catastrophically high in American society today. Young people (The younger, the more likely) are really more likely to be divorced soon after marriage than not. This is a terrible thing, when most of them swear a vow before their spouse and God, stating 'til death do us part'. Due to marriages that occur when the couple is too immature, infatuated and not in love, or other issues, divorce rates continue to become worse. And divorce is a terrible thing, because a divorce causes an emotional rift as well as the obvious outer one. If children are involved, it forever alters their lives and usually damages them. Divorce on a whole is a problem that less people have within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, due to the difficulty in attaining an official divorce from the Church. A legal divorce can be performed as normal, but the Church would not recognize the end of that relationship in an eternal sense. However, divorces do still occur, and are usually for extreme reasons.
Speaking of eternity, that, really, is the ultimate idea behind marriage. The Church is one of the only religious organizations who teaches that, with absolute certainty, if the marriage is sealed in a temple, that the couple will be together... forever. Throughout eternity in the afterlife, as well as for our meager lives upon this planet (That we seem to value so very much while we are here). Why is it that the restrictions of marriage are so terrible to some? Why can a marriage not last? And why do people limit their marriages? I would certainly hope that, if I truly loved a woman enough to marry her and to bind myself to her, that I would be able to be with her for all of eternity, not just until death, which looms so eerily close to all of us.
Marriage is also something that people enter into too quickly, with a sense of rush about them, and perhaps with good reason. For, as mentioned above, our lives here are short - as described in Gladiator, they are merely "shadows and dust". Infatuation, as also mentioned above, is another huge factor. If two young people believe themselves to be in love, then it is difficult for anyone to convince them otherwise. The difficulty in this matter is that the decision really is up to the couple in question. Have they been dating long enough? Do they know each other well enough? Are they old enough? Mature enough? Can they do this, make this step? Do they really love each other? While we would all love to make this decisions for our children, friends, and family members, in the end, the knowledge is really theirs. If they search these things out, ponder them, and pray for guidance, they will know the proper course. In the end, those who are observing must simply give their advice and then allow the couple in question to make their decisions, and either succeed or fall as they might, and then be there to help them up again, if it can be done. The goal is, always, to preserve that holy covenant of marriage, and to fix any problems that arise, rather than chucking the whole thing.
This, indeed, is another issue in today's society. Arguments, problems, disagreements, infidelity, work issues, differing interests, health problems, and a whole range of other issues are common excuses for divorce. The problem is not that none of these are worthy of such extreme action. The problem is that usually, they are not. A real reason for a divorce does not come up often. Violence can be one of those. Infidelity. But some of the others are ridiculous, shallow reasons, and reflect perhaps the weakness of character or morals of one or both of the persons involved. If they had the courage to stick it out, and to try to cling to the relationship, and to fix things rather than just throwing them away, declared broken... they might find that relationships are indeed able to be mended in many cases.
Yet, the entire discussion is futile. For we do live in the latter days, although none know how exactly far along we are. And the world is corrupt. Most will agree on that as fact. We know that most of America is corrupt in ways. A good lady I spoke to recently said [paraphrase] that today's America makes places like the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah look like Disneyland. Unfortunately, while we laughed at that statement, it is probably correct. Is it likely, then, that society is really going to maintain a high marriage success rate? A low crime rate? Peace between nations? Etc, etc, etc... doubtful.
In summary, it is my conclusion, and my opinion - indeed, my certain belief, that marriage is a holy, nigh unbreakable covenant. One should be prepared to sacrifice anything to make the relationship work, and one should be overjoyed at the idea of eternity with this person. Because if marriage is allowed to extend to its fullest, that is indeed what it can be. A marriage sealed at the altar in a temple of God for all of time and eternity is a beautiful thing, and it is something that simply cannot be taken lightly. Marriage should be entered into with careful thought, prayer, and communication within the couple. Marriage should be a bond that is honored, cherished, defended. Fidelity should be clung to. Prayer, study of Scriptures, attendance of church, physical, emotional, and mental relations, quiet time together, and so many more things should be essential parts of life. For no other relationship will be so important. No other connection so sweet. No other companionship so vital. No other fragment of one's life, no other events, actions, ties, or bonds... none compare to the immortal and intrinsic value, sheer beauty, and extraordinary capacity for love that can be found within the bond of marriage.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
"Vera Sequor"
I follow the truth.
"I follow the truth." An interesting phrase. It's a bold statement when a person claims to follow the truth, rather than simply their interpretation thereof, an ideology alone, the leadership of another person, or just what they think to be correct. When that person instead simply states that he or she follows the truth, with no elaboration, the implication made is that this individual is extremely confident that the thing(s), the idea(s), the belief(s) that are being followed are not only true, but are the truth. This is the statement that I make to you. I follow the truth.
This is the only post in which I will not cover an interesting topic. I feel compelled to introduce myself, my blog, and leave a disclaimer of sorts for those who might wonder about certain things. My name is Jeff. I am a Christian and the viewpoints of this blog will be from a [usually] conservative perspective. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most posts will also reflect that. This blog is in no way professionally affiliated with, endorsed, condoned, or condemned by the Church insofar as I am aware.
The purpose of this blog is merely to follow the truth. Whether it be current events; discussions of misperceptions of Christianity, the Church, or other denominations; or other philosophies, happenings, or topics, I will strive to arrive at and portray the truth. And nothing but the truth.
"I follow the truth." An interesting phrase. It's a bold statement when a person claims to follow the truth, rather than simply their interpretation thereof, an ideology alone, the leadership of another person, or just what they think to be correct. When that person instead simply states that he or she follows the truth, with no elaboration, the implication made is that this individual is extremely confident that the thing(s), the idea(s), the belief(s) that are being followed are not only true, but are the truth. This is the statement that I make to you. I follow the truth.
This is the only post in which I will not cover an interesting topic. I feel compelled to introduce myself, my blog, and leave a disclaimer of sorts for those who might wonder about certain things. My name is Jeff. I am a Christian and the viewpoints of this blog will be from a [usually] conservative perspective. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most posts will also reflect that. This blog is in no way professionally affiliated with, endorsed, condoned, or condemned by the Church insofar as I am aware.
The purpose of this blog is merely to follow the truth. Whether it be current events; discussions of misperceptions of Christianity, the Church, or other denominations; or other philosophies, happenings, or topics, I will strive to arrive at and portray the truth. And nothing but the truth.
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