Some Sundays, I get more than a little irritated by some church-goers "airs." Especially with the "we are obviously better than they are." By the virtue of being born in the United States - of being white - of being born into the LDS church. Like we are the top dogs, in every possible way. I've been looking at it a little bit differently. If we come down to earth to gain a physical body and learn and accept the gospel, yeah, this makes it easier, perhaps, being born in America. But we also do temple work for those who don't get the opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ in this life. So people who DON'T learn about it, get their temple work done, and ACCEPT it, aren't denied any blessing. So perhaps.... Just perhaps.... Those of us who get dumped (in the mortality sense) into a comfortable, clean, civilized area like the U.S. of A..... maybe it's because we couldn't HANDLE a more difficult environment. And perhaps, just perhaps, people who are born in deepest darkest Africa or being the Great Wall in China, are the MORE valiant - the MORE righteous - the MORE spiritual ones.
And CAN handle a darker world. How about the people who lived through the Dark Ages? Most of them had no resources - no scriptures - very little direction, and in a lot of Europe, very little hope. Maybe they JUST needed to come down to get a physical body. Hmmm. Maybe you comfortable Americans SHOULDN'T be so proud of being you.
Have you ever seen the movie "Labyrinth" with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly? My kids grew up with watching that movie on VHS tapes like every week. So do you remember this scene?
Today I was stalking around the house, wielding a flyswatter, and COUNTING as I killed the stampede of flies that had invaded our house. And felt JUST like Hoggle!
Okay, there are two commandments that Jesus emphasizes in the New Testament. I'm even gonna quote it here from Mark 12: 28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Once again, "There is none other commandment greater than these." I think Jesus meant that. Love God.
And love each other. That's the test. He's saying, right here, this is what He wants. And I think He is NOT saying, "AND decide how other people live THEIR lives" He is NOT saying, "and love everyone EXCEPT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR SINNERS." And finally, I am CERTAIN He is not saying, "AND JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T DO THINGS THE WAY YOU DO THEM." It's pretty simple, isn't it?
There's a great song by the Barenaked Ladies, called "If I Had A Million Dollars." You can hear it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8zdNe_l3M8. Really, if you don't know the song, listen to all of it. Isn't it cool? Now, most times it you ask a person what they'd do with an unexpected windfall (landfall? which word is better here?), most people would IMMEDIATELY pronounce something that they would purchase... FOR THEMSELVES. "A 1967 Chevy Impala!" "A Fiat!" "An island in the Pacific!" But in this song, the dude is getting something FOR SOMEONE ELSE. I like that.
I understand the expression "The Ugly American. I've lived overseas, and seen American tourists being loud, rude and insulting. I can fully appreciate that to a lot of people, NOT Americans, we are not a real classy group of people. BUT I DO NOT WANT DONALD TRUMP TO REPRESENT ME. I appreciate that political opponents can get a little nasty and call each others names, and insinuate things, and point in all negative directions. BUT I CANNOT ACCEPT DONALD TRUMP'S SHEER RUDENESS. He is not outspoken or honest - he is rude. He calls people names, he insults like a 12 year old, he is the ultimate say-whatever-he-wants-at-that-particular-instant. I AM EMBARRASSED TO HAVE HIM EVEN SERIOUSLY BEING CONSIDERED A REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. I want to have a dignified, well-educated, intelligent and MATURE individual to be our commander-in-chief. I don't want a reality-show buffoon, who makes fun of people, belittles them, and talks trash about woman in particular. Can we just have President Obama for one more term? Please?
You may have noticed that I am trying to get back into the habit of writing in here. Even to the point that I am taking suggestions. So here is a suggested topic: 9 things you just can’t handle. And here are mine! 1. People sniffing instead of blowing their noses. I don't mean "little" sniffles, that we all get with a slightly runny nose. But a big INWARD SNORT - you can FEEL the mucus flying back into their throat. It's sickening. 2. Drivers not using their turn signals. And yes, we all forget sometimes, I realize. But this is the drivers who stomp on their brakes without warning and then make a hard left without warning. Who sit in the middle of the road without any idea of where they might be going. It's almost worse, the ones who turn on their turn signals AFTER they begin to turn - yeah, right, thanks a lot. 3. People who are so rabid about abortion. NOW HOLD ON JUST A SECOND. I am not FOR abortion - I don't know anyone who IS, including people who have HAD abortions. But it seems like the people I have met who ARE so against abortion also seem to be against free birth control - free health clinics - and help of ANY sort for the mother and child when s/he is born. If life is so precious, then it is when the baby is born to. Make it easier to adopt - track down the father and make him responsible too - give scared young girls who get pregnant some options. 4. Holes in my socks. Any kind of holes. I spent too many years putting UP with holes in my socks because of refusal to spend money on myself - now, I just can't tolerate them for even a MINUTE. 5.Parents who hit their kids. Yes, I suppose spanking sometimes can be justified - but I mean people who just haul off and whack their kids because they are mad at them. That's child abuse, that's not discipline. 6. Oreo cookies. I mean the ones they sell today. Even the Double-Stuff ones are as thin as the former REGULAR ones were. The middle stuff is all that makes them worthwhile, and there isn't enough of it THERE. 7. Nursing homes. I realize there are necessary, and the staff is seriously overworked and under-paid. But they are normally plain and simple, UGLY. Stark, un-decorated, UGLY. And I understand WHY - to keep clean, sterile, because patients come and go, because there's no extra money. But it's still AWFUL. 8. People who are deliberately rude. I don't mean accidentally or just lack of manners taught - but people who intentionally WANT to hurt people's feelings. Just to make, somehow, themSELVES feel better. And last but not least, 9. Donald Trump.
Especially with the "we are obviously better than they are."
If we come down to earth to gain a physical body and learn and accept the gospel, yeah, this makes it easier, perhaps, being born in America.
So people who DON'T learn about it, get their temple work done, and ACCEPT it, aren't denied any blessing.
Those of us who get dumped (in the mortality sense) into a comfortable, clean, civilized area like the U.S. of A..... maybe it's because we couldn't HANDLE a more difficult environment.
Maybe they JUST needed to come down to get a physical body.
