A Voice

This is a departure from the subject I have written about in the past, but it's on my mind. I want it to be known that I am an American, and grateful for it. I am proud to have a government so well structured. I want to express gratitude and admiration for those who are willing to spend their lives in the service of this country.

I also want it to be known that, while I want to support my government, I am shocked and dismayed at many of the decisions that have been made in the last 9 or 10 months. I don't understand all of the implications, nor all of the circumstances that led to the decisions that have been made, but the decisions I speak of are decisions that will lead America on a course it should not go. Not if it wants to continue to be America, and not if we hope that our nation's colors will stir the next generation like they stir us. I am aware that lately the media has been very quick to approve of everything that is being decided in Washington, and they even dare to say we're moving forward. Well, mine is a voice crying that what is going on in Washington is a travesty, almost to the point that I am not proud to be called an American, because that relates me to what happens there. And I hope that my voice can be joined with others who are appalled at the direction our country is headed, and with the politicians who are willfully driving us there. I am appalled.

But, I am still proud to be an American, because great men founded this country on true principles. I am proud that these principles have not been utterly extinguished. I am proud to see people working hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. I am proud of what America is supposed to be. Here's hoping our hard-earned principles won't change. That's what I believe in.

Tax Day

This evening I went out to dinner with my wife (who is a tax accountant) to celebrate the end of the tax busy season. While we were there, a friend of mine called for advice about his taxes (I'm also an accountant). We filed our return months ago, so it's somewhat humorous to me how many people are just finishing up. Kind of the post office to stay open late. I just hope none of the postal workers forgot to file their returns, because, man, if they did, they're stuck.

Also, while I was at dinner, I witnessed one of the many "tea parties" to protest legislation coming from the nations capital. I support the cause, but I'm afraid it is somewhat misled. First, as far as I understand, the president doesn't make any legislation. He signs it into law, but he doesn't create it. At least that's how it should be. Second, anyone who thinks the IRS should be eliminated is a fool. Although our government spends way too much money, at least they spend it on us and our well-being. At least we drive on paved roads and we have underground sewage systems. At least we have a military that can defend us. If we eliminate the IRS, I wonder, how will the government collect revenues. If the government doesn't have any revenues, who is going to maintain the roads, the hospitals, the sewers, etc. I agree with all of my soul that the government should spend less, and should spend with more prudence when it must spend, but to eliminate the IRS is totally absurd, even idiotic. Unless there is some alternative means of transferring money from citizen to government that I am missing. The publicans (private tax collectors) of Jesus' time weren't too popular either, so I don't think that would work.

So, that my voice may be heard, I plead with the government: Tax me. Take all that is fair to take from me, and I will do my best to keep all that is fair for me to keep.
And I plead with my fellow citizens, displeased with taxes: Keep the protests coming, but aim well. Foolish protests are counterproductive.

Tribute

This one goes out to all of my followers. All of the people who have made this blog possible. Thank you. I'm thinking about turning the blog over to a more efficient writer. If we meet again...

Obedience

As this semester comes to an end, this assignment comes to an end, and perhaps this Blog comes to an end. I don't really like Blogs, and I realized why yesterday. Some blogs are useful in allowing people to keep up with each others' lives. I appreciate this aspect of blogs, but I still do not utilize them for this purpose. The reason that I don't like blogs was articulated by a friend of mine in the opening post of his blog. By writing, we assert on all of our readers that we have something to say. And not just something to say, but something worth writing. And not just something worth writing, but something worth reading. The amount of valuable content already available on the Internet is astounding. Sometimes mind-boggling. The amount of worthless content online is sickening. So, why should what I write be worthwhile to anyone? I don't even proof-read. I don't think any blogger does, though.

Why have I posted every week, aside from it being a requirement of my religion class? I hope that I have done it in obedience, in a sense. An servant of God asked that faithful followers of Christ be prepared to give a reason for their faith. In more recent times, another servant of God suggested that the Internet was a useful way to do that. I don't know if these words will benefit anyone other than myself, but I'm glad I've done it, because I have been asked to do it. I am almost certain that I will not post as frequently in the future. At least not about religious matters. But I will try to be active in the global online community, in the discussion of religion. Signing off, Steven Foote

Hope

As I finished reading the Book of Mormon this time around, something struck me more than usual. I like to read books as though I were the author, and try to figure out why they wrote certain things in certain ways, and what they meant by certain things they wrote. As I read the end of Moroni, I found the 7th chapter to be especially interesting, considering the position that Moroni was in when he wrote it. After all of his family and friends had died, as he wondered alone in the wilderness fearing death at the hands of the Lamanites, he wrote a chapter about hope and charity. The words are not his, but are a direct quote from his father. I think it no coincidence that Moroni includes, multiple times, the kind words of his father directly to him; I think doing so was a source of comfort to him, and I think he wanted to show the world what a good father looks like.

The words of Mormon, written by Moroni in Chapter 7 of the Book of Moroni are especially poignant when viewed from the eyes of the lone Moroni. I assume these words were very special to Moroni; that he treasured them. I assume he read them often in his difficult situation. I am grateful he felt to share them with the rest of us, that we may have them as a source of comfort as well.

To have hope is such a gift. We need not be abounding in wealth to have hope. Nor do we need to be in the depths of poverty to benefit from it. I do not believe a human can live without hope of some sort. The hope Mormon refers to is the hope of Christ. Hope in a better life. With this hope, nothing is ultimately sad, because life is just part of the process to get us a better life. Death and sickness and suffering, while not to be underplayed, are not as hard to endure when we have hope in Christ, and hope for a better life. I have this hope. I know He lives.

A Consistent Theme

As I have read the Book of Mormon this semester, I have come to realize that there is a common theme in almost all of the stories: the wicked will be destroyed. A slightly less noticeable theme, which goes hand in hand with the first is that the wicked generally don't believe themselves to be wicked. At least not at first. By the wicked realize they are wicked, it is generally too late. The Jaredites killed each other off so quickly, there was barely time to think. By the time Coriantumr was ready to repent, his people were already destroyed, and it was too late to save anyone. Perhaps this is another reason that men should not procrastinate the day of their repentance. The Nephites would not admit they were wicked until nearly the end. When they admitted they were wicked, they were so hardened that they were proud of their wickedness. The wicked rarely see the warning signs as warning signs. They see them as coincidence.

What about now? I don't believe that every natural disaster and every recession and every war and every bad thing that happens is a sign to us from God that we are wicked and that we need to repent. But, I also don't believe that none of them are. Mormon tells us that the wicked bring their curse upon themselves. I can't help but think that, at least in part, our world's current economic situation is a sign for us, especially considering the way it was brought on. I don't pretend to understand all of the factors that contributed, but I do understand enough to know that much of the crisis was brought on by greed and a desire to live beyond our means. I believe that the problems are much deeper than our banks' balance sheets. We may come out of this recession soon, but we will fall right back if we don't change; our economy simply cannot depend on artificial wealth created by inflated credit. The nations cannot prosper if the citizens of nations do not change. Our times may not be a sign from God that we are growing wicked as a people, but just in case it is, I'm going to take a look at how I live.

An Ether Allegory

As I read the Book of Ether a few years ago, I happened upon a few interesting parallels. As with any metaphor, if taken too far, this allegory is of no use.

In the second chapter of Ether, the brother of Jared ascends a mountain to speak with the Lord. He is commanded to cross the ocean, and is instructed to build barges in order to do so. The brother of Jared returns to the Lord after building the barges with two major problems: no air and no light. The Lord immediately solves the firs problem (air), then lets the brother of Jared think of his own solution for the second(light). The brother of Jared works out a solution, prepares stones, and brings them before the Lord. He believes that if the Lord touches the stones, they will give light.

The journey across the ocean can be compared to our journey through life to the Celestial Kingdom. We are faced in our mortal lives with two great problems, or two great deaths: physical death and spiritual death. If these problems are not solved, we will not reach our desired destination, however, we are powerless to solve either of the problems on our own. The problem of physical death is similar to the Jaredites' lack of air. The Lord solves this problem for all of us through His resurrection; it is a free gift to all, and we need not do anything to receive it. Spiritual death is similar to the Jaredites' lack of light, as is its solution. We do not have to invent a solution, but we do have to seek it out. None of us is born knowing the way to Salvation, We must find it on our own. And when we've found the solution, we have to work at it, as the brother of Jared had to work and prepare the stones that would give the light. But, even after all the work we have done in finding and preparing, the problem of spiritual death is no more solved than it was before we started; we need the Lord's touch. Through His power, our work is sanctified -- we are sanctified and can reach our desired destination. Without His touch, our work gives no more light than sixteen ordinary stones.

The Book of Mormon

As a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was assigned to work in Brazil. After teaching a certain woman about the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith, I left a Book of Mormon for her to read, with a chapter in 3 Nephi marked. When I returned, I found that she had read the chapter in 3 Nephi, and then continued to read. She decided to read the Book of Mormon, which is the 13th of 15 books which make up the Book of Mormon. She said she read it because she figured that was where she would find out what the Book of Mormon was really about. At the time, I was slightly surprised, and somewhat disappointed that she had read that particular selection. It focuses on war and the eventual destruction of the Nephite nation.

I just finished reading that same selection, and I have seen it from a different perspective. That particular woman decided she was not interested in learning more about the Church after a few more visits, and I thought it might have been because she had chosen to read the Book of Mormon first. I do not feel that way now; I'm glad she read that, of all the things she could have read. As Mormon watches the Nephite people grow in wickedness, his message is turned to future generations. He urges us to believe in the Gospel, to repent, to follow Christ. That is the way we can avoid the destruction that he was experiencing.

Although it is no the most pleasant book in the Book of Mormon, nor the most easy to read, I believe that the Book of Mormon (i.e. the smaller Book of Mormon inside the larger compilation of the same name) is one of the most relevant books for our time. The people of the world truly grow in wickedness in our days; our days are not so different from the days of Mormon. Why, then, should the consequences of our actions be different?

Their riches become slippery unto them...

In the book of Helaman (in the Book of Mormon) a prophet named Samuel preaches from the top of a wall. His words are especially relevant today. One of the themes of the thirteenth chapter of Helaman is that, unless the people repent, their riches would become slippery unto them. I recently read this chapter, and was impressed with the connection I saw to today's world. The chapter says that when men hid up their treasures but not unto God, the treasures would become slippery unto them. It explains that phrase, saying that after they had hid the treasure, they would not be able to find it or obtain it again.

This is a sensitive subject, and I approach it cautiously, with no intent to accuse. Our investments, 401(k)s, savings, have become slippery unto us. As I understand, the Dow closed below 7000 for the first time in 11 years. I saw a popular talk show host suggest that the solution to our economic crisis would not come from bailouts or anything else; it would come from the people of America becoming a virtuous and God-fearing people again. There are multiple quotations from our nation's founding fathers, stating that the government that they set up would only work to govern a religious, virtuous people. I do not believe it wise to ignore the role that God plays in the destiny of this nation, especially in a time of such turmoil.

I believe that regardless of our several political and economic philosophies, we can overcome if we will have faith in God and do His will.

The Final Kick

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as defined by Christ, consists of Faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Enduring to the end is the hard part.

When I was in high school I decided to join the cross country team. No one was cut from the team, because the coach did not feel that was necessary. Anyone who didn't really want to be there would quit within a week or two. I did not join because I loved to run, nor because I was good at running. I joined because I had friends in cross country, and because I wanted to see if I could handle it.

I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from birth, but I feel that this experience taught me a little bit about what it would be like to join the Church as a convert. The cross country team had their own lingo, and they already knew each other. I was an outsider, and I wasn't good at running. And it was hard. If I had been there solely for the company of my friends, my cross country career would not have lasted more than one day (I nearly fainted after the first practice from dehydration. It was September in Las Vegas, probably 105 F or more). I didn't quit because I had to prove to myself that I could do it. My friends helped me, and gave me advice, but I would not have stayed just for them. I would not still be a member of the Church if I were in it just for friends. I love the Church, as I grew to love running. I'm grateful for the friendships I have had within each, but neither is worthwhile only for the social aspects.

I have since stopped running, but I've taken up cycling. I guess I like pain. I have called my blog and this post the final kick because that is what I love most about running and cycling and life. During the last 200-300 meters, when there is nothing left but pure will and a desire for the pain to end, when at the end of a 50 mile ride, you pedal so fast you can't feel your legs - you can't hardly see - and you finish strong. To give everything you have for the entire race, and give even more during the final kick - that is what life is all about, to me. 

Lessons from War

In the Book of Mormon, in the latter half of the the Book of Alma, the text is consumed by the subject of war. There are two large wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the last decade of history of the Book of Alma.

These are the things I have learned as I studied these wars.

The first war was much smaller and much more short-lived. It is contained entirely within the two chapters of Alma 43 and 44. The war is short in great part because the Nephites are prepared and the Lamanites are unprepared. The Lamanites came to battle with no armor at all. Alma 43:20 says "Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins . . ." The Nephites, however, had prepared themselves for battle with strong armor. From the surprise of the Lamanites in seeing the strong armor, it appears that this wasn't a common practice before.

Between the two wars there is a time of prosperity for the Nephites. Moroni spends this time fortifying the cities of the Nephites, especially the cities that had before been weak.

The Lamanites returned to war approximately two years later. It is interesting to note the manner in which they came: "yea, and they had also prepared themselves with shields, and with breastplates; and they had also prepared themselves with garments of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their nakedness." (Alma 49:6)

If we take the position that the Lamanites represent evil, or temptation, we can see evil progressing. The Lamanites came the first time expecting to defeat the Nephites because of their large army, but they were disappointed because of their lack of armor. When they came the second time, they knew they would be unable to defeat the Nephites if they again came unprepared. Temptation learns.

The righteousness of Moroni and the Nephites is exhibited here, because, while temptation was progressing, so were they. The Lamanites were again disappointed because of the strength of the fortified Nephite cities.

Progression is a principle of the Gospel of Christ. If we do not progress, we will be unable to overcome future temptations, even if we have been able to overcome those of the past, because temptation is progressing, too.


Another interesting lesson from these wars is that our greatest strengths can become our greatest weaknesses. The cities were further strengthened by Moroni with "works of timbers", towers, and other fortifications. After a description of their fortification, we read that the people became wicked and were driven out of those fortified cities by the Lamanites. Now, the strongholds that once belonged to the Nephites belonged to the Lamanites. This is one of the reasons the second war lasted so long. The Nephites feared to attack the Lamanites in their strongholds. The strength of the cities had not changed, just who was in control.

If we allow ourselves to lose our strongholds, we sometimes find these strengths become our greatest weaknesses. If we allow Satan into our lives and allow God to be driven out, our strengths do not change, just who is in control.

My Witness

I have had the opportunity hundreds of times to verbally testify of the spiritual things I know to be true. Although these opportunities are important and valuable, they are fleeting. I would like to record this witness, that it may be permanent, and in hopes that it may be of value to any who might read it.

I know of only one way to arrive at any conclusion about things spiritual in nature, and that is by the spirit of God(See John 4:24). I know by the power of God that He exists, and that Jesus Christ is His son. I know that they have created a plan to save all man kind, and that plan is sufficient to save all man kind. I know, too, that our salvation depends on our obedience to the laws of God; the parameters of the plan.
I know that this plan has been revealed by God to man through prophets since the beginning of human history. Seeing as I believe in God and the creation, I believe that human history began with the creation of Adam.
I know that Joseph Smith was called by God to be a prophet in these latter days, and that God's plan of Salvation was given to man through Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, as is the Bible. I have exercised my faith in these things and have not been disappointed.
I don't know that anyone will ever read this; but, anyone who has questions about or is interested in the things I have said here is welcome to email at smfoote@gmail.com.

Mercy and Justice

The 42nd chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon is very useful in understanding the Justice and the Mercy of the Lord. While both are but forces of the eternal law which God has created, let us personify them for a moment. How can Justice and Mercy coexist, for they appear to be in eternal conflict, in regards to the punishment and forgiveness of mankind. There are two elements which are necessary to reconcile this conflict.

First, and most important, there must be an Atonement, an eternal sacrifice. The only person who has ever lived who could possibly perform such a sacrifice is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Not only because no other man could bear the pains which Christ bore to perform the Atonement, but also because Justice could not be satisfied with a sacrifice of anyone less than God himself. Verse 15 of the chapter declares that Mercy, or rather the Plan of Mercy, is brought about because of the Atonement. 

The second element is penitence, or repentance. The 24th verse declares that "none but the truly penitent are saved." The Atonement effectively reconciles the conflict between Justice and Mercy by creating the Plan of Mercy; but without repentance, it is for naught. The Plan cannot act on us, Jesus cannot save us, without our participation. We must act on the plan in order for it to act on us. Why is it that only the penitent are saved? Because Mercy and Justice act together. How can I feel sorry for someone who feels no remorse for what they've done? How can God justly forgive us if we feel no sorrow for our sins, if we are not penitent? He cannot. Mercy does not destroy Justice, but rather expands it.