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The Atonement

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel –First Article of Faith

There are more than a dozen enlightening discourses on the Atonement in the Book of Mormon. None is more remarkable than the impressive epitome contained in a single verse, the conclusion of Enos’s movingly personal story:

“And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.”—Hugh Nibley

A black and white sketch of Mary and Joseph standing over the baby Jesus on Christmas night.

In the early days of the church, the Prophet Joseph Smith had a vision in which he saw the 12 in distant lands. They were dressed in rags and it was obvious that they had seen their share of hardship. They were discouraged and looking down at the ground as though their burden was too much for them. Standing above them in the air was the Savior. His arms reached out to them and tears in his eyes. The implication of the vision was that all they had to do to receive comfort and strength was to look up.

Often, we find ourselves looking down, immersed in worldly cares, not noticing the hand of God in all things, the miracles of each day, or the richness of our lives. Our reluctance to look up is not always with the rebelliousness of the Israelites who refused to look at the raised serpent to be healed but more often with the apathy of the wealthy Nephites who seemed to need the Savior when times were bad but congratulated themselves when they received abundant blessings.

Tragically, some of us, lulled into apathy by the background of the world, are led away from the narrow path dictated by our Master. We sometimes figure that we have done enough of the things the Lord expects of us. But other times we might actually ignore the principles and understandings upon which we have based our lives. We rationalize what we do. Sometimes, we find that we are paying attention to the mocking voice of the evil one but other times we are thrown off simply by our own laziness and lack of discipline. Doubt follows, and doubt can open the door to compromise and slam the seemingly unbreechable door behind the sinner. Doubt, skepticism, and misplaced focus are the enemies of the children of God.

When I served my mission in Italy, my friend, Elder Paul Cannon, was assigned to the island of Sardegna. While there, he met, taught, baptized and became close friends with a young man. He kept in constant touch with him as he planned his own mission and future church service. After he was transferred, my friend got a letter from the parents of the boy. After reading the letter he was obviously crushed and his companion, noticing, asked what was wrong. He said, “Something horrible has happened to my friend in Sardegna.” The companion asked, “Oh no, did he fall away from the church?” Elder Cannon replied, “No, nothing that bad. He drowned.”

My friend’s backhand witness struck me. Death to him would not be nearly as bad as turning one’s back on the Savior. There is no tragedy in Death, only in sin. Shortly after I heard the story of the young man in Italy, the same message was brought home to me clearly and close to home. My mother and her brother, one of my favorite uncles, died within 4 or 5 months of each other. Both of them were loved and revered by the extended family and by all who knew them. At my mother’s funeral, those who came left filled with the Spirit. Of course, we wept and were sad but only because of the temporary separation. But, we were also full of peace and happiness for the reward awaiting her and our future glorious reunion, if we lived as she had. At the funeral of my uncle, a whole different spirit was evident. He had not clung closely to the iron rod. The speakers at his funeral spoke of him as a man who was loved despite of his faults. We wept and were sad, not only because we would miss him but also because of a realization that he had not consistently chosen the path to leading back to our Father.

Satan’s ways have been institutionalized. Televisions, magazines, books, pressure groups, movies, literature, commercials, art, all promote compromise of the strict adherence to the Lord’s way. Media and popular tolerance draw our attention away from what is really important and what we should be spending our time thinking about, that being things eternal.

He makes it so easy. He will get you to make the smallest compromise and then convince you that it was not really wrong. That makes the step to the next level even easier. Suddenly, we might be criticizing or mocking the righteous for their righteousness and secretly hoping for others downfall to make ourselves feel better.

Luke 4:15–30, Jesus speaks to those who do not believe He is the Messiah

Is this not the way of Satan? In the great council before this world, his whole plan was based on holding us down to build himself up. He tried to deceive us into believing that we could return to our Father and become like Him without ever needing our free agency. And now, his whole objective is to bring us down to be miserable even as he is miserable with the great satanic substitutes for the Light.

Who among us has not suffered greatly because we, ourselves, or someone we love has been drawn away from the Light by the attractiveness of Satan’s trap. But after experiencing Satan’s ways, which seemed so attractive, we find out that is more like drinking raw sewage. One can wash but cannot get clean. For any that are thus lured away, there is only one way to become clean.

The Father saw through Satan’s plan and intent and chose to send Jehovah, our beloved Master, as the one who would cleanse the world from Satan’s ravages. Knowing that if we had free agency we would make mistakes, God’s plan provided a Savior who could offer an infinite sacrifice for the sins of the world. Without a Savior, the eternal law of justice could not be satisfied and none of us would be able to live again with our Father. The most important moment in the battle for our souls occurred on that Thursday night, two thousand years ago.

I have often wondered what Christ must have thought as He prepared for His sacrifice. Following the dinner in the upper room, Jesus walked with His eleven faithful Apostles around the wall of the city, nearly in the shadow of the temple, to the garden of Gethsemane. He left 8 by the entrance to the Garden and took Peter, James, and John with Him further. Then the record says, “He…began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy and He said unto them, ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.’” He was amazed. The Bible says that the word for amazed in the Greek could also be translated astonished or awestruck. We learn from modern prophets that Christ was aware in concept of what He had to do and had even seen in vision how it was to be done. But even so, when He began to experience the process of the Atonement, He was amazed, astonished and awestruck by what was really involved. Now that He was in the middle of the process, it caused Him even God “to tremble because of pain and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit, and would that He might not drink the bitter cup and shrink.”

Christ in a white robe, kneeling near a large olive tree, with hands clasped, looking upward.

I was discussing this with my wife, Karen, and she compared it to childbirth. As you prepare for the child, you have such a feeling of wonder and mission. However, when labor hits, she says all you want to do is to not have to go through it. This happened to the Savior. I remember in years past thinking, “How could it be so bad. I lasted a matter of hours. Anyone can go through anything for a few hours; especially when so much was at stake.” Such a thought could only be borne in ignorance and naivete. Though He was the Son of God, the Greatest of all, the pain and agony of the actual atonement amazed even Him. We are accustomed to hearing that Christ bled from every pore, but the implications of that give us some small insight into the magnitude of His suffering. Our finite minds cannot now comprehend how He took upon Himself the sins of the world but some time in that night by descending below all things, Jesus Christ paid the price to cleanse our sins. Because of the Atonement all the promises, ancient and modern can be fulfilled:

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool.”

He that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven.

No man can be saved except his garments are washed white; yea his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain through the blood of Him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem His people.

For I will forgive their iniquity and remember them no more.

He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

President Kimball related this story, which he said was his favorite in his book, the Miracle of Forgiveness:

A lady came up to him at a conference and said, “Elder Kimball, do you remember me?” ”Oh, sister, I am sorry, I meet so many people, I…” and the Lady said, “Thank the Lord. Years ago, I came before you with a story of sin. Possibly, the worst you have ever heard. It was you that started me on the path back. And if you have forgotten, maybe the Lord has.

In the scriptures, we read of many miraculous events resulting from the power of God resting on his servants. Our family has been the recipient of many miracles, where the Lord through His servants, has blessed our lives both temporally and spiritually. All of us have been witness to marvelous spiritual and temporal miracles. But no miracle compares with the mighty change of heart that comes when a person seeks the forgiveness of the Lord with all his heart and is cleansed. That miracle is the miracle of Christ’s matchless Atonement. Even those who have committed serious transgression can be made alive again in Christ through their faithfulness.

The Lord told Joseph Smith, “He that receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.” If we truly receive all things with thankfulness, we will find ourselves thanking the Lord first for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

If we accept the Atonement and activate it in our lives, what will become of us? Lorenzo Snow gave us some insight:

There is just one thing that a Latter-day Saint, an Elder in Israel should never forget. It should be a bright illuminating star before him all the time–in his heart, in his soul, and all through him–that is, he need not worry in the least whether he should be a deacon or President of the church. It is sufficient for him to know that his destiny is to be like his Father, a God in eternity. He will not only be President but he may see himself president of a Kingdom, President of worlds with never-ending opportunities to enlarge his sphere of dominion.

This thought in the breasts of men, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, tends to purify them and cleanse them from every ambitious or improper feeling.

This glorious opportunity of becoming truly great belongs to every faithful Elder in Israel; it is his by right divine and he will not have to come before this or any other quorum to have his status defined. He may be a God in eternity; he may become like his Father, doing the works, which his father did before him and he cannot be deprived of the opportunity of reaching this exalted state.

Is this not the way of Christ? Whereas Satan’s objective is to hold us down to make himself great, our Master’s objective is to build us up to His level and in so doing, the work itself will make Himself even more joyful and glorious, because of the glory of those He loves.

The greatest obstacle to being able to take advantage of the atonement of the Savior is what I mentioned earlier: doubt.

John 20:24–29, Thomas sees the resurrected Christ

Truman Madsen spoke of the Apostle, Thomas, being characterized as a doubter because he said what the others had said earlier, “I will believe when I see.” The others, according to Luke, rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they did see. It is a beautiful phrase, Luke says, “They believed not for Joy.” Meaning it was too good to be true. They could hardly believe their eyes. They all had some doubt. Christ said to Thomas, “Thomas, blessed art thou because thou hast seen and believed. More blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.” It seems as though the Lord is putting a premium on belief that is insupportable by the evidence of actual sight. That is not the case. What He is saying is that there is one thing that can burn doubt out of us, one thing that is even more powerful that sight, and that is the Holy Ghost.

What is the witness of the Holy Ghost like? We get some insight from the Prophet Joseph Smith. Of his visit from the Father and the Son, he said that he saw a light that descended, the brilliance and glory of which defied all description. It drove out the evil darkness that had sought to destroy him and enveloped him. So powerful was the effect of that light that he had expected the grove around him to be consumed by it. In the record of the vision, Joseph left an incredible statement, “Thereafter, I was filled with love for many days and I could rejoice with great joy. And the Lord was with me.” Giving us an insight into what happens inside when we experience the influence of the Savior through the witness and power of the Holy Ghost: Joy, Love and No Doubt.

The one thing that the adversary cannot duplicate is the witness and power of the Holy Ghost. When that power is upon us, there is no doubt. And that is what bears witness of the Father and His Son, our Master.

Enos related one of the most beautifully recorded experiences in all of history. The words of the Prophet, his father, sank deep into his heart, and, he says, “My soul hungered” leading him to pray in the wilderness all day and into the night. And finally the word of the Lord came to him and said, “Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee and thou shalt be blessed.” And this is the beautiful phrase, “And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore my guilt was swept away…and I said, Lord how is it done. And He said unto me, Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou has never before seen.” No Doubt. Enos then proceeded to pray for his family, then the Nephites, then all the earth. Love. He closes his record with a magnificent out pouring, “I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before Him; then shall I see His face with pleasure and He will say unto me, Come unto Me, ye blessed.” Joy, Love and No Doubt.

Brigham Young once said that our first realization when we go to the next world will be how stupid we were in this life. The things that we currently focus on and spend the majority of our lives thinking about are decoys, to use Brigham’s word, drawing our attention from our real target. I recently read an article in which the author observed that many of us are trying to save ourselves, using Christ as an advisor. This will never do. Only by complete submission to the will of the Master and living our lives in such a way that we are willing to sacrifice all earthly things to keep His commandments can we gain exaltation.

I learned a profound lesson when I read a story by Elder Boyd K. Packer. When he had first been called as a General Authority in the sixties, he took a problem to Elder Harold B. Lee, who at that time was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Lee said that he should discuss the problem with President McKay. After Elder Packer explained the problem, President McKay gave him council and recommended a course of action to be taken. After his meeting with the Prophet, Elder Packer went back to report to Elder Lee. He explained that President McKay had told him what to do but that he could not see any possible way for the problem to be resolved through that course of action. Then Elder Lee gave him the following council, which he said was a lesson for a lifetime: “You need to learn to walk to the edge of the light and then take a few steps out into the darkness. Then the Lord will shine the light and illuminate your way.” That is the essence of Faith.

“I have made this my rule, said Joseph Smith, When God commands, DO IT.”

May I conclude with a word of testimony.

Years ago, on my son, Jimmie’s, birthday, in circumstances that to some no doubt will appear trivial, I was taught a lesson for my lifetime. It was a difficult time in my life and I was struggling with a few things, the details of which are not important. The Yankees were in town to play the A’s and since it was Jimmie’s birthday, it was automatic that we were going. We went early so that we could try to catch some of the batting practice balls that were hit into the stands. We came very close to getting one a couple of times but didn’t. We went to our seats in the 2^nd deck. One inning into the game, I remembered how much Jimmie had wanted to catch one of the balls and I bowed my head quickly and offered a silent prayer that the Lord would allow Jimmie to catch a foul ball during the game. I thought to myself even as I prayed that I was asking for something that was not worth praying about but even as I thought that thought I immediately felt at peace about asking and that it was appropriate at the time. However, with my weak faith, I, of course, waffled and made excuses why it couldn’t possibly happen and put my prayer out of my mind. Two innings later, one of the A’s hit a foul ball our way but not too near us. Jimmie got out of his seat and took a step or two toward the place where the ball was coming down 30 feet away. The ball bounced off the hands of the fans and flew straight toward my son. He barehanded it, held it up, and the crowd went wild. As we sat down, the Spirit of the Lord swept through me, giving me a powerful reminder of my prayer and then the following words came clearly to my mind, “Do you believe now that I can do anything that I want?” I was in the Lord’s hands, not in my own. Skeptics no doubt would call this a mere coincidence, but I am content to believe that the Lord reached out to his weak and needful son to give him a lesson to carry him through his life.

Luke recorded what, for me, was the most moving testimony of the resurrection in the New Testament. On the road near Emmaus, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples but they did not recognize him. The disciples were confused regarding the events of the day and excitedly explained what they had heard regarding the Savior’s resurrection. Then Jesus spoke to them and opened the scriptures to them, chastening them to a certain extent for being surprised by the news. As they approached the village, they convinced Jesus to stay and eat with them. This He did and as He broke bread and blessed it, their eyes were opened and they knew Him and He vanished out of their sight. Then the beautiful phrase: “Did not our hearts burn within us when He spoke to us along the way.”

As I grow older and my family proliferates, the hymns of the Atonement have sunk deep into my heart. Words such as:

I stand all amazed

I know that my Redeemer lives

I need thee every hour

He lives and loves me to the end

Oh it is wonderful,

And one old song that I had almost forgotten,

Perverse and foolish have I strayed

And yet in love He found me

And on His shoulders gently laid

And home rejoicing brought me

Hymns like these have caused my heart to burn within me with a greater intensity than ever before in my life. The greatest desire in my life is that my children’s hearts burn within them with love for the Savior, and a determination to submit their lives to His will.

In the 1830’s someone once was asked, “What is the greatest miracle you have ever seen in the Church?” She replied, “Joseph Smith”. The greatest miracle I have ever seen is Karen Nelson. She fills my life with light and joy. I cherish every moment with her and will love her forever.

I have received a truer and deeper testimony of what is real. I know that the Lord sends His angels to be round about us to bear us up. I know that those on the other side under God’s direction are more involved in our lives than we know. I know of the Love of the Savior. I know of the power and reality of the Atonement. Elder Bruce McConkie, in his final public address said, “I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”

I pray that one day I will be in a position to kneel before my Master, to bathe His feet with my tears, and worship Him. But I will know no better then than I know now that He lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Power of Experience

The other day, I was playing tennis with friends and I noticed something about how I played. My backhand is still terrible, but I can hit a forehand reasonably well. While playing, it occurred to me that certain things came naturally to me. Hitting up through the ball, finishing high, using my legs. I didn’t think about it. I just did it. I thought back on when a good friend, who was an excellent tennis player, got me playing about 10 years ago. I listened to him and watched. I took some lessons from a local pro. He took each part of my stroke and worked on it—explaining that I needed to hit up through the ball, finish high, and use my legs. I couldn’t quite get it, but I worked on it. At times I wondered if I wanted to go through the effort, because not getting it was discouraging. Not hitting the ball well would take away from the parts of the game that I enjoyed—the strategy, the competition, etc. It was hard work to keep all the elements of the stroke in my mind but over time, as I concentrated, my shot would improve. Now after these years of playing semi-regularly, I don’t have to think about my stroke—it comes naturally. Of course, still takes conditioning to play comfortably, and I have to keep my eye on the ball to play well—it requires daily effort. But the focus on my stroke is no longer a burden. Having built experience in that area, I can now focus on the fun part of the game.

Roger Federer Forehand Analysis - peRFect Tennis — **NOT ME!!!!**

Karen and I were going through our Come Follow Me study, and we went over a scripture:

Moroni 6:4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

New Book of Mormon Videos episode depicts Moroni finishing and burying the plates, Joseph Smith finding them - Church News — Moroni

I must’ve read that verse dozens of times over the years. I have taught it as a missionary and as a teacher at church. But this time, the thing that struck me was what it means to be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost. I just knew what it means. I didn’t know it because I thought through it deeply to discover the meaning—I have done that in the past on many things. But I just knew inside—along with nuances and parts that you can’t know just by book study.

Over the years, I have worked and concentrated on the principles of the Gospel. I have read the Scriptures almost every day since I came home from my mission in 1973. I have sought for principles to guide my life and teach my children. I have gained experience as I have put the principles of the Gospel in action and “proved the Lord” as I did so. In the same way that I have gained experience through practicing my forehand, my experience in the Gospel has let me to a deeper understanding of the reality of the mission of the Master and His teachings. It has led me to understand how He works with His children. I know clearly many reasons why things don’t always go smoothly, and why even the Lord’s anointed have had to struggle at times to implement the Lord’s will. I make many mistakes and am far from the man I want to be. But when I read the verse above, I just knew deep inside exactly what it meant to be wrought upon by the Holy Ghost.

I have worked hard to teach my children how this and other principles are true principles to be incorporated into our daily lives. I know that some people hear the teachings and find the work of learning and living those principles too difficult or perhaps unproductive to go through the effort. They eventually meander at best in their trek along the narrow way, and at worst they wander off completely, having not gone through the experience necessary to partake of the fruit or to learn to sing the song of Redeeming Love.

It is hard work and demanding to gain that experience. So I keep at it. For all of us, we know that mistakes are made and there is a temptation to be casual in our faithfulness. Those who we look to as an example are not always the beacon we hoped. There is increasing social pressure to lead us away from the light. But in the end, the effort that it takes to hold to the Rod is worth it. John recorded these beautiful words.

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came ^aout of great ^btribulation, and have ^cwashed their robes, and made them ^dwhite in the ^eblood of the ^fLamb.

Virtually every single promise that we receive as a result of our covenants is that we may have His Spirit to be with us. As we gain experience, we gain access to His Spirit. It becomes part of our nature—which is not the nature of the Natural Man, but we become “partakers of the divine nature.”

We become wrought upon… by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Peace in Politics?

Some years ago, I watched an interview with a candidate who was asked, “Who do you consider your enemies?” The candidate started the list, “Well, the NRA are definitely my enemies. The Koch brothers. John Boehner…” and the list went on.

It immediately struck me that the candidate’s long list of enemies were people or organizations well versed in issues and simply had a different, though well informed, point of view. I thought perhaps there may have been a better response.

I discussed campaigning with a person who had helped a fellow with his campaign for congress in the south. She told me that the entire campaign was based on denigrating the opposing candidate. She further explained that over the years, it had been shown that negative campaigning against the candidate, not the issues, was by far the most effective to win closely contested elections.

Sometimes people or even organizations want to punish others for simply having a different point of view, sometimes causing people to lose their jobs or to be shunned for supporting certain idealogical positions. Others attempt boycotts of organizations, even business organizations, that have done nothing wrong except to disagree with them. This is a duplicitous approach to forcing people to agree that I wish were universally condemned. I know we all have examples.

Prevalent opinions often win the day as a result of volume (in all of its varied meanings), not reason. When that is the case, it is almost always based on emotion not considered analysis. That opens the door to making a debate personal— the weakest of all arguments. I have even heard pundits explain to their listeners that the way to argue a point of view is from emotion, for reason doesn’t have the power to sway the majority. Furthermore, emotion, controversy and change sell. Hence, the media’s approach to reporting in our day. Neither side is free of such behavior.

Aren’t you weary of it?

As uncharitable as this may be, I confess that I myself sometimes fall into a pattern of making negative statements about candidates or spokespeople that I don’t support. I have strongly held beliefs about what is right for America, and often feel like someone threw a baseball at my head when they disagree or ridicule me for those beliefs. For whatever foolish reason, I rush into a political argument at times as though I were running into a bench-clearing brawl instead of a collaborative effort to find understanding. This makes me part of the problem.

The temptation is to list illustrative examples of how emotion and acrimony have been used to further a political agenda, create fear and separation. But, while my small repentance may not reshape the world, or even my family, I want to begin anew—with a not so common approach.

When my son returned from a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he met with the senior officer of our Church (a close friend) to be released from his ministry. After some discussion, my friend asked my son, “What is the most important thing that you have learned from your service?” He bowed his head in thought for a moment and began to tear up. When he got his composure, he said, “I just love everyone and everything.”

When we are filled with love, we want good for all people. We want to solve differences of opinion through calm reason and discussion. Like Phil Conners at the end of Groundhog Day, we want to personally evolve to a place in which we support, dignify and serve all of our brothers and sisters.

This is the person I want to be. It is the place at which the people who I admire most have arrived. I will continue to strongly support the principles that I believe are right for our nation and oppose those who intentionally seek to harm it. But I will avoid condemnation of others simply because they disagree with me. I will not personalize a debate as I was wont to do with name calling and disgust–and I will be patient with those that do. If any of you find that I do that in my blog or any other writing and speaking, please call me on it.

Leadership guides a country to where it is going. I want leaders who love America and seek to lead all American’s. I want leaders who don’t seek to find peace but seek to make peace. I want leaders who seek to understand and come to rational conclusions that can broaden support—while still standing strong for certain absolutes that have made America what she is. I want leaders who won’t use name calling and insult to win a debate. I want leaders who love God and country. And everyone and everything.

The better answer to “Who are your enemies?”

“I have no enemies who love America and its people.”

Respect

A talk given to a stake priesthood meeting in Bothell, WA.

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. —Matthew 25:40

One of the most popular types of characters in the movies or on TV is the irreverent, cynical, wise cracking renegade who doesn’t take anything seriously and treats nothing and no one with respect. Images like this have led people to think it popular to be disrespectful and participate in ridiculous rights of manhood such as telling off those in authority, putting down girls, or debauching themselves with immorality or substance abuse. They have led young people to feel that it is cool to wear descriptive T-shirts that say “Bad to the Bone” or “Born to be Wild”. Participating in immorality as entertainment has been sold over the media for years until the media image has become society’s reality. Furthermore, in recent years, behavior such as this has become increasingly accepted and even aspired to as part of the worldly ritual of declaring personal independence.

We who hold the priesthood have a different understanding. We know the Lord’s purpose for us and it is essential that we not be dragged into believing what we are told by those of the world. In the 76^th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord describes those who are to inherit eternal life. One of the things He says about those individuals who have earned the great reward is, “They are they who have overcome the world.” Part of the reason for which we come into the world is to prove that we can be trusted with sacred things in spite of the forces in the world that would have us treat those things with disdain. We do so by showing respect for those things with which we are entrusted.

Respect is something that is not discussed very much, but it is essential not only for our eventual exaltation but also for our happiness day to day. There is no shame in being respectful. Quite the contrary, it is a sign of self-esteem and security. I would like to suggest a few things that we as priesthood holders should honor and respect in a particular way.

Respect Those in Authority. Elder Boyd K. Packer taught us this lesson in a leadership meeting when I lived in London. He said that you would never catch him going through a door before Mark Peterson, because Elder Peterson was senior to Elder Packer. The implication is that we show special respect to those who preside over us. We are sometimes very casual about the way we treat those entrusted to guide or supervise us. We may foolishly argue with a referee’s call or insult him for the call. As much as I love sports, I know from personal experience that not getting a call or even losing a game is nothing compared to how awful it is to be the type of person to get worked up over it. We may show up late or sit in the foyer instead of getting into seminary on time. We may speak poorly to our parents or disregard their instructions. It is as though we want to make sure that those in authority know that we are in charge of our own lives. However, if we could really understand how much effort is put forth by those who serve, preside or teach, we would seek every opportunity to show them respect, even when they don’t require it. The Prophet Joseph was a reasonably casual man but when he would enter his own living room in the Nauvoo House, one brother that lived there, John Burnhiesel, would stand up every time. Joseph would say, “Don’t do that. Why do you do that?” Brother Burnhiesel said, “Because I love to honor the man who God honors.”
From time to time in my teaching, I have asked what the students would do if the Savior taught the class. The answer was predictable. They would be on time, they would listen reverently, sit up straight, stand when He entered or left. And obey?—in a heartbeat! Why? Because of the level of respect that we have for Him. Why should it be any different with those who teach and preside over us today? The Lord has said, “Whether it be by mine own voice or the voice of my servants it is the same.” Brigham Young once said to a woman who was criticizing her husband, “If you could see him as he really is, your first inclination would be to fall on your knees and worship him.” Show respect for your parents, your teachers, and your leaders in your words, actions and attitude. There are ways to do it: saying please and thank you and other forms of common courtesy, kindness, following instructions and being obedient. Let us all show greater respect to those who supervise us or who are in positions of authority.
Respect Womanhood. When I first returned from my mission, women’s liberation was in full swing, fighting for women’s equality. Though there have been some good things that have come from the women’s movement, there have also been some perversions of the way things are supposed to be. While the people who have espoused women’s liberation have fought so hard to gain respect for women, one of the casualties of the movement has been chivalry in men. Equality is often confused with sameness. By succeeding in achieving sameness for women, feminists have actually degraded the God-appointed standing of women in this earthly existence. However, regardless of what happens around us in the world, our job as men of God is to defend the honor of women. President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Young men, especially you who bear the priesthood of God, should be the protectors of women and not feel that you can take liberties, that you can rob them of that which is more priceless than life itself. You should treat that young girl whom you take out on a date, as you would expect another young man to treat your sister. This is the way to live. This is God’s way. This is the standard which He has provided in His Church.” Your responsibility to respect womanhood goes beyond being morally clean, a standard to which I am sure you are all committed. It also implies protecting the young women from being treated or teased rudely by others, or from hearing coarse talk. It also implies showing them a higher level of courtesy, holding the door for them, speaking kindly, and being a gentleman in every way. When we honor womanhood, we treat women as though they are something truly special and sacred. When we understand how our Heavenly Father feels about them, we realize that they are something truly special and sacred.
Respect your Priesthood. Whenever I would go to a party or some other function, my father would always say, “Remember who you are.” I never really believed that I was as good as my father believed I was. But now, as a father myself, I understand exactly what he meant. He wanted me to behave in a way consistent with how I had been blessed. He wanted me to be clean in my actions, words and thoughts. He had a better perspective and high hopes for the kind of man that I might one day become. He had a greater understanding of my responsibility as a representative and servant of Jesus Christ than I did. If my dad or your dads have that kind of perspective, imagine our Heavenly Father Himself as He sent us off to our earthly experience saying, “Remember who you are.” We are His sons. He has high hopes for us and His hopes go far beyond what we earthly fathers thoroughly comprehend. Listen to what Lorenzo Snow says about the Lord’s perspective of our potential:

There is just one thing that a Latter-day Saint, an Elder in Israel should never forget: It should be a bright illuminating star before him all the time–in his heart, in his soul, and all through him–that is, he need not worry in the least whether he should be a deacon or President of the church. It is sufficient for him to know that his destiny is to be like his Father, a God in eternity. He will not only be President but he may find himself president of a Kingdom, President of worlds with never-ending opportunities to enlarge his sphere of dominion.

Now, how do we honor our priesthood? Joseph Smith gave us a powerful example of how to honor your priesthood. He knew, through revelation, who he was, and he behaved accordingly. So when his father, whose name was also Joseph, laid his hands upon his head and gave him a patriarchal blessing, what he heard was not a surprise. Part of the blessing said:

I bless thee with the blessings of thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and even with the blessings of thy father Joseph, son of Jacob. For he looked after his posterity in the last days when they should be driven and scattered by the Gentiles, and he wept before the Lord; and he sought diligently that he might know from whence the son would come that would bring them the word of God and bring them back to the true fold. And his eyes beheld thee, my son. And his heart rejoiced and his soul was satisfied.

You will know you show respect for your priesthood when a priesthood leader gives you an assignment and his heart will rejoice and his soul will be satisfied because of your faithful magnification of that responsibility. When a father or mother sends a precious daughter out with you, they should be completely at ease because of the type of person you are. When you are with a group of your peers, they should be able to see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.

I challenge you to make a decision today to do one thing regularly to better show respect for each of these three things: respect for those in authority, respect for womanhood, and respect for your priesthood. It might be that you will show up for seminary on time, and hold the door for your female peers, and you will speak of your gratitude for what the Lord has done for you with one of your friends away from a church setting. Or it may be other things. But make a decision to show greater respect, today. Write it in your journal, or share it with your fathers, but have some way to remember and follow up on your commitment to yourself.

Remember who you are. I pray that your image of yourselves will not be that of someone “Bad to the Bone” or “Born to be Wild”, but of the virtuous Knight or stripling warrior who honored those in authority, defended the honor of women and girls, understood the magnitude of his responsibility, and of whom it could be said, as it was of Sir Galahad, “His strength was as the strength of ten, because he was pure.” In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Voting Ideology

I used to say that I would always vote for the person of better character for government office, not just for the party line. However, all that stopped in 2008. I had friends who knew Barach Obama and said that he was really in fine guy—good husband and father, kind to others and caring of those in need. I didn’t feel that John McCain was the same type of person. I voted for McCain anyway.

Ex-Obama rival McCain tweets congratulations

Obama ran on “hope and change.” I thought that was a campaign slogan aimed at correcting the recent crash of the economy. It was obvious to me that there was a need for fine tuning of the economy, targeted at eliminating abuses and focused on continued strengthening of America. However, as I came to understand the policies that were espoused by Obama, some of which were eventually pushed into law, it seemed clear that he was determined to make an unnecessary and damaging overhaul of the American economy. Even his chief of staff declared that the crisis precipitated by the crash of the markets in 2008 was too valuable an opportunity not to use to make dramatic change.

His focus was on equality. But it was on equality of outcome—something that is not possible or desirable to regulate. He began a process of redistributing wealth—something that he tried to hide from his rhetoric but occasional slips of the tongue and constant promoting of policy allowed anyone with ears to hear to understand the objective of the far-left leaning administration.

Milton Friedman, the famous economist and advocate of Free Enterprise, once said, “If you focus on equality over freedom, you won’t get either.”

Accepting President Obama’s demonization of business, the driver of the American engine, and advocation of an “anything goes” social morality would spell long-term doom for America’s prosperity and national compass. His approach to being a “citizen of the world” meant America wouldn’t take a position of moral, economic and military leadership to serve the world, but it would become “one of the gang” of atheistic, jealous and unprincipled countries. The world loved Obama for his desire to be one of them.

Still it is hard not to like Obama, and his wife may have been the most popular first lady since Jackie Kennedy–despite her admitted disdain for pre-Obama America. Beautiful family, smooth orator, self-effacing humor. He was a really cool guy. But his policies and positions that he took damaged America in the short- and long-run.

In the end, it is long term policy, not an individual president, that is going to preserve the strength of our nation. Over the years, many people who we have considered Giants have been moral leprechauns. Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Franklin Roosevelt, the Kennedy’s, even Ronald Reagan (in his younger days) were not devoted to the principles that God requires of us. In contrast, excluding his younger days, Obama seemed like a good father and husband and he lived a great example. Smooth and thoughtful, caring for people. But so many of his policy positions flew in the face of what is important to American strength and the doctrines of the Truth.

Trump on the other hand behaves like an adolescent big mouth, without morality, who is a stranger to the truth. But his policies for the most part have proven to strengthen America and are true to what has made America strong. In the last election, both candidates in my mind were deeply flawed—for completely different reasons.

The one truly balanced candidate, who is a man of keen moral principle and had the issues for a strong America right, was Mitt Romney, who i once worked with and knew well. He was soundly defeated by the cool kid who had no business winning after a terrible first term. Obama won because he was popular and happy to give away whatever he could to get elected in indifference to the piper’s price to be paid by our children. Also, he employed supporters, including his campaign manager and the senate minority leader, that were willing to disingenuously say anything to win, while Mitt was stubbornly respectful of the president and his office, while strongly disagreeing with his policy and approach. Now, Mitt comes under fire from his own party for vilifying a president without character. I admire him and respect his stand, though I would not have done the same thing. For reasons I am about to explain.

Mitt Romney Criticizes Trump's Comments To Ukraine, China — And ...

I have determined that I will vote for the candidate is best represents what is most important to the country as I see it. Those principles are:

1. Freedom of conscience and support for the family. No one should be forced to do anything that they feel is not consistent with God’s standards even if some people feel discriminated against as a result. I oppose anything that would diminish the traditional family.

2. Small government—we need to move more toward balancing budget. Government should tend to its responsibilities laid out in the Constitution and not take on the obligation of tending the people.

3. Personal Responsibility and self-reliance. Social programs should be reduced. People should not look the government to be saved—but be responsible for their own outcome. I do not oppose welfare, but it needs a complete overhaul focused on getting back to self-reliance. Ban the words “social justice”, “woke”, or “illuminated” in a political context (just kidding—but they are ridiculous terms). No one should have to apologize for being successful and everyone should be expected to do what they can.

4. Constitution means what it says. I would oppose any judge or justice that thinks they can exercise their judgment to change the law from the bench. A well-defined process is in place to change the law and the Constitution.

5. Free enterprise is the key to any country’s prosperity and the key to the fight against domestic and international poverty. Private enterprise, big and small, should be supported through policy. Global competitiveness is the key to America’s ability to serve and lead the world, and to the ongoing prosperity of its people.

6. Lead the world through American exceptionalism. We should have no apologies that we have been successful, and we are here to support the world in emulating us. It is in the national interest to help make other countries successful in our pattern. We will defend ourselves against those who would do us harm or attempt to diminish our attempts to excel as a country.

I will vote for the candidate that supports those principles. Obviously, a candidate who supports these principles could disqualify himself or herself from my vote in any number of ways, but it would have to be extreme. Trump’s broadly proclaimed shortcomings do not go far enough to lose my vote when facing zealous left-wing candidates like Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. If Tulsi Gabbard won the democratic nomination, I would have to think hard about what to do. But while I see her as a much better candidate than any of the others (including Trump), my decision would ultimately be based on how the principles that are important to me would be supported with her as president.

Each person must understand the list of principles that are important to him or her. Some people we know are single issue voters. Abortion, free education, gay rights, universal health care and global warming each have vast single-issue followings. But for me, some issues are damaging to America in a fundamental way. So, when one has a single-issue perspective, voting for the candidate that supports it sometimes supports policy that you would otherwise oppose, or that may damage America.

Politicians of all ideologies sometimes show disdain for the very people that employ them by adopting campaign strategies to portray a particular image that may draw votes in a way that is no more thoughtful than advertising to prompt an impulse purchase. Don’t let them persuade you in that way. Any voter who considers carefully, and understands the issues that are important to them, takes responsibility for their personal vote, which is the sacred right and obligation of every American and should be treated as such. Those who carelessly vote for a fashionable candidate simply because that candidate is popular squander the opportunity to support America in their chosen way.

Scripture Study

Scripture Study—the Key to Family Gospel Learning

I opened it with eagerness and read the title page. I then read the testimony of several witnesses. After this I commenced its contents by course. I read all day. Eating was a burden. I had no desire for food. Sleep was a burden when night came for I preferred reading to sleep. As I read, the Spirit of the Lord was upon me and I knew and comprehended that the book was true.
–Parley P. Pratt

Up until that time I knew nothing about the book except the scurrilous reports I had read in the newspapers about “ a boy named Joe Smith somewhere out west who had found a gold bible.” I opened the book without regard to place, and totally ignorant to its design or contents, and before reading half a page, I declared, God or the Devil has had a hand in this book for no man ever wrote it. ……Me…..I read it twice through in 10 days. And so firm was my conviction of the truth that I immediately commenced settling my accounts, selling my medicine, and freeing myself from every encumbrance to go to Kirtland to find out more about this Church.
–Willard Richards

One of the most cherished memories of my childhood was playing baseball with my father and brother. I remember that my father used to take us to the local little league field and practice with us every week. He would patiently hit us ground balls, and pop ups. He’d show us how to run the bases and he would pitch to us so we could practice our hitting. He would come to our little league games where we would put his teachings into practice. I am sure that while he watched we would try his patience as we would muff some of the things that he had taught us, but he let us know how thrilled he was when we would do well. Since we lived in New York at the time, Dad would take us to see the Yankees play. Watching Mantle and Maris, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford play was one of the great experiences of my childhood. We would copy the great players style and even take plain white tee shirts and write their numbers on them One of my most exciting times playing ball was after my mission while playing on the ward softball team, I was able to coax my father into playing with us. He played second and I played shortstop, the two positions in the field that require the most teamwork. It was a moment I will never forget. I didn’t become a great ball player but I love the game. I cherish the time my father spent with me to teach me. And now as a father myself, I spend time playing ball with my children, going to their games, and occasionally going to watch Griffey, Buhner, Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodrigez play. I suppose that my kids will end up teaching their kids and the legacy will continue.

My father taught us baseball with love and patience. A key principle to our parenting is this: whatever we spend time teaching our families in love is what they will learn. It is interesting how often in the scriptures, the prophets reflect on the teachings of their fathers for better or for worse. Nephi, in the single most read verse in all of the scriptures, speaks of being born of goodly parents and being taught in the learning of his father. Enos, while hunting, had the teachings of his father sink deep into his heart. Large sections of Alma’s lectures to his sons, including some of the most sublime teaching of the mission of our Master, are included in the Book of Mormon. Alternatively, the Lamanites resentment of the Nephites and their stubborn desire to fight them seems to stem primarily from the wicked traditions of their fathers.

What is it that we should be teaching our children? The obvious answer is that we should teach them to obey the commandments and seek to return to our Heavenly Father. However, as easy as it is to say, it is much more difficult to do, especially in today’s world with so many things that are acceptable, even encouraged in society that are abominations before God. Only with the power that comes from the Spirit of the Lord can we resist the temptations of Satan and combat his strategies that are taking control of the world at an ever-increasing rate. The key to that power is something that we hear every week, and most of us may not ponder it as we should. In the sacrament prayer there is a phrase, “That they may always remember Him, that they may have His Spirit to be with them.” This may be the simplest principal to remember in the gospel. If we always remember the Lord, we will have His Spirit with us. The key to always remembering Him is to study the gospel. The most important thing we should be teaching our families is to study the scriptures every day.

The scriptures are like a spiritual transformer. It is to them we go for power. I don’t know if this holds true for your lives but for me, I find that if I am not pouring over the scriptures, my prayers tend to be less effective, less sincere, and more likely to bounce off the ceiling. However, if I search the scriptures with real intent and ponder them, my prayers are deeper, more heart felt and the Spirit flows. When I study the scriptures, I want to do right and emulate the Savior. When I am casual about the scriptures, I am more likely to be impatient or critical, or to do something else stupid.

One of my favorite messages regarding the scriptures is from President Kimball:

I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.

Can you see from this that scripture study is the key to effective prayer?

Listen to what President Benson said about the study of the scriptures:
Often we spend great effort in trying to increase the activity levels in our stakes. We work diligently to raise the percentages of those attending sacrament meetings. We labor to get a higher percentage of our young men on missions. We strive to improve the numbers of those marrying in the temple. All of these are commendable efforts and important to the growth of the kingdom. But when individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, these other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow. (“The Power of the Word,” CR April 1986, Ensign 16 [May 1986]: 81.) What a promise.
I know that it is difficult to immerse oneself in the scriptures. Getting started and making a habit is the key. As in everything, the Lord’s way is the more difficult than the world’s. I have heard it said that it takes 16 days in a row to make any good thing become a habit. However, to break a habit it only takes two days. Satan would always have us stay away from the scriptures. He gives us other ideas like you’re too tired, you have too much to do, there is a good TV show on.

Even more difficult than making a personal habit of scripture study is making a regular habit of family scripture study. It is easy to be discouraged and it is difficult to really go for it. Especially if you are not seeing any progress.

My wife, Karen had our fourth child in Boston. Afterwards, she had the most difficult time getting in shape. After 8 months of running 2 miles a day, she actually felt like she had made no progress. She faced a choice… give up or intensify. She went up to 5 miles a day and within weeks she was in the best shape of her life. And, surprisingly, she started to love running. (I said that in a meeting once, in which Karen was a member of the congregation. Someone by her did not know who she was and to her, “That’s a sick woman”.) It is so with the scriptures. Often people will read casually or even somewhat seriously and not feel like they are making progress. For too many of us the reaction is to cut down to spiritual life support, reading 5 minutes a day or maybe even one scripture if they are lucky. But the greatest of the Lord’s blessings, those that have to do with revelation and exaltation are given when we immerse ourselves in the scriptures. And once you start, you find that you love studying the scriptures.
Pick a time of day, do it every day, and spend real time studying it. There is no right way to study as long as you do it with time and energy. My wife reads straight through the scriptures, concentrating on the message as she reads and though she has read the Book of Mormon many times, she always is illuminated in different ways. I tend to study topics and draw scriptures from the standard works to expand upon the topic I am studying. There are many ways to do it, the key is to spend the time and search them diligently.

Of the sons of Mosiah, Alma wrote,
“For they were men of sound understanding for they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer and fasting, therefore they had the Spirit of prophecy and the Spirit of revelation and when they taught they taught with the power and authority of God.”

These men dove into the scriptures and searched them. In addition, they thought about them continually and sought to understand them more thoroughly. I was home teaching at Gordon and Shawn Bailey’s house, and Shawn said that especially while her son, Tor, was on his mission, she would read in the morning and not understand all that she read. She would then think about them, ponder them in her heart and then, during the day, the meaning of the passage would come to her. The Lord told the Nephites after he visited them on the first day to go to their homes and ponder what He had said. This is what is meant in the sacrament prayer by “always remembering him”. Now, how many of us finish reading our scriptures and jump into bed or turn on the tube.

Elder Merrill Bateman related a story in General Conference some years ago to illustrate what it means to search the scriptures:
A small six-year-old boy wandered away from his handcart company during a storm and was lost. When the storm subsided, Robert and Ann Parker realized that their boy was missing and began searching. For two days an organized search was unsuccessful. The decision was taken that the must move on because of the approaching winter. Ann pinned a bright red shawl about the thin shoulders of her husband and sent him back alone on the trail to search again for their child. If he found him dead, he was to wrap him in the shawl; if alive the shawl would be a flag to signal her. Ann and her children took up their load and struggled on with the company, while Robert retraced the miles of trail, calling and searching and praying for his helpless little son. At last, he reached a trading station where he learned that his child had been found and cared for by a woodsman and his wife. The boy had been ill from exposure and fright. But God had heard the prayers of his people. Out on the trail each night Ann and her children kept watch, and when on the third night the rays of the setting sun caught the glimmer of a bright red shawl waving above her husband’s head, the brave little mother sank in a pitiful heap in the sand. She slept for the first time in six days.

Do you suppose that Robert just casually wandered about the prairie seeing if his son might just pop up somewhere? I have had a number of children myself. I have no doubt that Robert looked in every wash, behind every bush and rock, around every hill, praying all the way for guidance and thinking over and over again about what he might have missed. That is what searching is all about. The Lord says search and feast and immerse, not peruse and nibble and get your big toe wet. Casual and infrequent exposure to the scriptures will not open the door to revelation nor will it protect us from the power of the tempter.

This is President Benson quoting President Romney:
I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope and charity–the pure love of Christ–will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy and happiness.

Now this great promise through Joseph the Prophet: “The voice of reason, the language of inspiration, the Spirit of the living God, our Creator, teaches us, as we hold the record of truth in our hands; for, the heavens declare the glory of a God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork; and a moment’s reflection is sufficient to teach every man of common intelligence, that all these are not the mere productions of chance, nor could they be supported by any power less than an Almighty hand; and He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God’s own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know His hand wherever he sees it; and when once discovered, He will not only receive an acknowledgment, but He will obey all its heavenly precepts.”

If we search the scriptures, we will not only like them, and receive a testimony of them, but we will recognize God’s hand in all things and obey his commandments. What a promise and what power the scriptures have.

One of the most cherished memories of my childhood was learning the gospel from my parents. I remember that my father would conduct family home evening every Monday. We would read out of the scriptures and stories from other gospel sources. My folks taught us to love the scriptures and the Brethren. I am sure that as they watched we would try their patience as we would muff some of the things that they had taught us, but they let us know how thrilled they were when we would do well. We had the chance to watch General Conference and see great men like David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith and Harold B. Lee. We would even wear suits and ties to church to emulate the brethren. One of my greatest thrills was to see my parents be there as I served a mission and was married in the temple. They were moments I will never forget. I cherish the time my parents spent with me to teach me. I am not yet the person I wish to be but I love the scriptures and I love the gospel. And now as a father and grandfather myself, I spend time teaching my children the scriptures and the gospel. And going to watch the Brethren at General Conference. I suppose that my kids will end up teaching their kids and the legacy will continue.

May our legacy to our children, and to our children’s children, be that they may come unto Christ and follow the Lord’s admonition to Search the scriptures for they are they that testify of me. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

America Strength is Its Industry

All citizens of the United States including conservatives, liberals, alt right extremists, progressive extremists, politicians, including presidential candidates and naïve activists, and whoever else opposes capitalism, should reconsider and cherish American industry.

America has been the most successful democracy that the world has ever known, primarily because it has succeeded in business. America runs on the profits from its private sector. One hundred percent of the funding of our country comes as a result of the funds created by free enterprise.

Businesses are started by entrepreneurs who have an idea for a product or service. Those businesses are funded by someone or some entity that has investment capital from personal or business wealth. The entrepreneur then builds the business in a competitive environment—domestically and internationally. In order to make that business work, and leverage the effort of the owner, the business hires people to whom the business pays a salary. The business grows, creates more profit and more jobs as it is successful.

In order to be successful, the business must provide a product or service that people, or other businesses, are willing to pay for. In a world market, and in the vast majority of domestic markets, no matter what business model a country follows, competition will offer alternatives and substitutes within industries. It is obvious to anyone who understands economics, or has purchased a good or service, that competition for customer dollars is in the best interest of the customer—it improves the quality of the product and decreases its cost. Therefore, the survival of a business requires that it compete successfully.

In order to be competitive, a company must have a product or service that satisfies its customer and is produced for a cost that is low enough to convince a customer of its value. That dictates that the company must have a winning strategy driven by excellent information. Great strategy and information is always driven by strong management. Even if inept management trips over a successful strategy, the business success under such management is unlikely to be sustained once any of the rules of its industry change. This is the reason that quality CEOs are paid so much money. The true value and staying power of a company is derived from its strategy and execution which is a function of the quality of company leadership.

In order to execute a chosen strategy, business ownership/management seeks to hire the most productive employees it can find for the price (their wages/salary). Candidates have to be qualified, willing and committed. Ownership/management in turn must to recruit and retain great employees. That is also a competitive process—people who are more qualified, more willing and more committed are likely to be employed more often and for more money. They are also harder to hire because of the competition for those people. Alternatively, people who will not or cannot be productive to the level of minimum wage are unlikely to be able to retain employment even if they are once employed.

So, a business enterprise begins, offers goods or services that people want and sell them for a profit. The business pays tax on that profit. The business employs people who provide a service to the business for a salary. The employee pays tax on that salary. That tax goes to fund government.

Government is hired by the people it serves to perform certain functions—functions spelled out in the Constitution or in state or local government charters. Governments require funding to perform those functions. That funding comes from tax revenues derived from business and the people that business employs. Of course, government also employs people to perform governmental duties, and those people also pay tax. But their salaries and the taxes paid from those salaries are funded by tax revenue that come from private industry.

All of the funding that business, government, and the people receive is a direct or indirect result of the success of businesses that are started and built by entrepreneurs. The more competitive our businesses are, the more vibrant our country’s economy will be and the more successful its people will be.

Therefore, the success and strength of our nation is derived from the global competitiveness of US businesses.

The same is true of the people. The more productive individuals can become through hard work, education, initiative, willingness, and commitment, the more likely they are to obtain attractive employment and generous remuneration.

All Americans should cherish America’s private industry. Government’s focus, in large part, should be to help make American private enterprise competitive globally and help prepare individuals to be as productive as they can so as to prosper in a highly competitive environment. Of course, many short comings exist in our current economic system, including vast policy mistakes governing Wall Street, the tendency toward monopoly that must be regulated, loopholes that make people rich while adding nothing to the strength of the country, and the damage to the public good by the pursuit of profit in indifference to the environment. But those require fine tuning, not an overhaul to free enterprise.

Reagan

The marriage of Reagan and Sam was an impossible dream come true. Reagan’s parents, Mike and Leslie, are among our oldest and dearest friends. We had often spoken of having our children marry each other–we had some match ups that could happen. But of course, those things never happen. Sam and Reagan and Fred and Bryan were great friends ever since we moved to Utah but never was there any thought of romance (I think). But when Sam got off his mission, they continued their habit of hanging out. And gradually it became obvious to them that they really liked being together. There was a point at which they stopped dating and of course it made them both sad. But Sam found that all he wanted to do was be with Reagan. So it wasn’t long before they were back together and in the fast lane to being married.

Reagan is fun, devoted, and could not be more of a sister to our 5 girls. She is a lefty and played varsity basketball–plus she is as tall as Sam and probably as athletic. So I am hoping to get some super athletes out of the deal–with a download of Mike and Leslie Brown genes. Brilliant, beautiful, and serious about the Gospel, she is an ideal dream companion to our son.

The greatest compliment that could possibly be given to Reagan is that all of Sam’s fiercely protective sisters screamed with joy for 10 minutes after they made the announcement of their engagement. I hope our other boys do as well.

Samhirt

Because a Sam already existed in our family, Sam Hirt immediately and permanently became Samhirt. Raised in Alaska as the 6th of 10 children, he already knew what he was about to get into when he married Kim.

When a father thinks about his daughter getting married, he hopes for the greatest young man that he can possibly imagine. One who is hard working, kind to his wife and children, fun, determined to follow his dreams, devoted to the Gospel, easy to get along with and most importantly loves his wife with all his heart. I had in my mind what that person would be like. But the reality of what Sam has meant to our family and to my daughter is so much better than anything that I could have imagined it is beyond my ability to explain it.

Kim sometimes says that she doesn’t deserve him. They almost didn’t get married and now Kim gets emotional at the thought that she almost passed up the opportunity to marry this great young man. We as a family first met Sam at Disneyland, and even Katherine hugged him. He has been at ease with our family the entire time he has been with us. He has played sports with us, worked with us, gone on cool trips with us and just hung out.

Perhaps the thing that I appreciate most about Sam is that whenever he comes home, or whenever Kim is burned out, he completely takes over the kids. that can be hard work but his boys love him and Kim gets breathing room as a result.

When we were on a mule trip up in the Uintas with my great friend, Bill Biefuss, he made such an impression that Bill gave Sam his greatest possible compliment, “He is a good hand.”

Shane

One of the greatest things that happened to our family was the induction of Shane as our 11th. He, Sam and Katherine were friends in high school and he shared a lot of our values. He and Sam were teammates on the wrestling and football teams. One day after practice they were talking and Shane asked something about why Sam was the way he was. Sam explained to him and Shane said, “OK, I am going to do that.” So he hung around with our family for a year after that, living the gospel without being a member of the church. We would cheer for him like we did for all of our kids, but somehow it didn’t occur to us to invite him to church.

One day, we were in the Kitchen and Karen just said, “Why don’t you come to church with us?” Shane got this bewildered look on his face and said, “Well, I will think about it.” Everyone got on Karen for asking afterwards, because we were sure that we had made Shane uncomfortable and we would never see him again. But Sunday came, and Shane showed up at our house dressed and ready for church. Later, he explained that he was just surprised that we would want him to come to church with us. Of course from our perspective, nothing could please us more. He was fully active in the church from then on . A few months after he went off to college, we came back to Bothell and his best friend, Sam, baptised him and we all rejoiced with him. His family came and I am sure that even they were so proud of him. I spoke to his dad at a father and sons’ outing and Bob told me that he was amazed that college was so cheap because he didn’t have to send over alcohol money. He said, “Boy, if I was going off to college, the LDS Institute isn’t the first place I would go looking for.” But it was for Shane. Sam used to tell me, “Shane is stronger than me in the Gospel.” It makes me so happy to have Shane as an adopted member of our family. I am very proud of him.