Patience

It has been several months since I last posted, and I have had the best summer I have ever had.  I have been married to my best friend for the pas 8 months, and married life is fantastic.  I love her and love every moment I get to spend with her.

This summer has been great, but has not turned out the way I expected. We have not made it to Yellowstone National Park like we had wanted to, we never made it to Bear Lake.  What we have done is even better.

At the start of summer I quit my second job at Arctic Circle so that I could focus on finishing my associates degree.  I had one semester left, and I was taking a statistics class that my teacher warned me would take at least 20 hours a week to do well in.  I thought I was smart enough to put in 10-15 hours, but I was dead wrong.  I slaved for hours trying to understand the assignments.  I did well on the assignments, but I did not so well on tests.  I did pass, which is a miracle considering the stress I had in my life during the last 2 weeks of class.

On the last week in July Cathy and I went to my mission president's homecoming talk in Highland, Utah.  I saw some old friends, talked to some old companions.  It was fun to see them.  That night we came home, and I took a nap while Cathy watched a movie.

Well, after about an hour, Cathy, who is expecting, experienced some bleeding.  We decided to rush her to the hospital, which was a good decision.  We got there, and they were going to send us home but the doctor decided to check her cervix.  She had dilated to a 3, which is not good for someone who is just 28 weeks pregnant.

Because Logan Regional can't take care of such premature babies, the hospital sends her to Ogden Regional Medical Center, where they can take care of the baby if it is born early.  My mom and mother-in-law go with me, and Cathy ends up staying in Ogden for 4 weeks.  She almost died of boredom because she was on bed rest.

Well, Cathy is home now, and baby girl still has not been born.  The doctor first told us she would be born within 48 hours of us first going to the hospital, but he was proven wrong.  Having the baby inside Cathy has been hard on both of us.  She can't move very well or fast, and because of this we have to limit our activity.

I do know that Heavenly Father is looking out for my family, and He has a plan that is better than mine. Because we have to limit physical activity for her to pretty much walking between the couch, table and bed at home, with few trips outside our home, we have had to find out ways to show our affection to the other.   Cathy said the other night something that struck me: "Maybe this time is the time for us to learn how to show our love for the other in nonphysical ways."  I think this is true.  We have grown closer as a couple because of this.

This summer has been incredible.  It has tested my patience to no end, but I wouldn't take it for the world.  Life is hard, and we need to embrace it's challenges.  Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.

Why Religion Matters: The Ground We Walk On

SALT LAKE CITY — 

“Our morality has religious roots.” — Theo Hobson[1]

What does it mean to take something for granted? Every day we walk on ground we seldom notice. It’s just there, underneath us, supporting our feet as we go about our days learning, working and worshiping. Though often unseen, the ground of our lives is full of religious meaning. Many of life’s compelling questions tend to be spiritual. How do we achieve our deepest longings? What makes something right or wrong? Whom should we love? How do we overcome suffering? The answers we receive shape our reality. But religion is always contested. Some even imagine a world without faith. What, then, do we stand to lose?

 

The rigors of science and technology open us to many wonders and truths, but they cannot, as one writer explained, “connect with purpose, intimacy, emotion—the stuff that matters most in people’s everyday lives.”[2] The highest in human accomplishment often traces to religious inspiration. Much of the world’s finest art, architecture, music and literature are clothed in the beauty of spiritual longing. Sacred writings provide ethical frameworks that spark deeds of self-sacrifice, integrity and love. Religion gives societies a shared moral aspiration, instils social commitment without legal compulsion, encourages voluntary compliance of the law and reminds us of our inherent dignity. Belief in deity motivates people to overcome the despair of death and turn suffering into good.

The values of society have roots in the ground of religion. Our modern aspirations toward human rights, altruism and humanitarian aid, for example, have religious pedigrees. Behind efforts to feed the poor, house the homeless and treat the sick, a church ministry is likely to be found.[3] Trust in our civic foundation depends on the spiritual disciplines of honesty, empathy and reciprocity. Everyone benefits when we live up to these ideals. Secular journalist Will Saletan wrote: “Religion is the vehicle through which most folks learn and practice morality. In the long run, it’s our friend.”[4]

And then come all the precious, indefinable things. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that human beings are born with a “taste for the infinite” and a “love for what is immortal.”[5] Individuals across time and culture have pondered and sought these intangibles. Identity, understanding, salvation, belonging — the things of the soul — never stray far from our hearts. Agnostic writer Julian Barnes tapped into something profound when he said, “I don’t believe in God, but I miss him.”[6] A world without religion looks flatter, emptier and simpler, yet still craves the God it once knew.

Today people across the globe find refuge in God and their faith communities. Eighty four percent of the world’s population identifies with a religious group.[7] The world is not sinking into disbelief, but that belief is becoming more rich, pluralistic and complex. We are all stewards of society, and our choices determine who we become. The ground of religion needs constant cultivating and nourishing. A garden cannot take care of itself.

[1] Theo Hobson, “The Return of God: Atheism’s Crisis of Faith,” The Spectator, Apr. 19, 2014.

[2] Alasdair Craig, “God Is Dead — What Next?” Prospect, May 1, 2014.

[3] See Robert A. Putnam and David E. Campbell, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2010).

[4] Will Saletan, “When Churches Do the Right Thing,” Slate, May 8, 2014.

[5] Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (2000), 510.

[6] Julian Barnes, Nothing to Be Frightened Of (2009), 1.

[7] Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project, “The Global Religious Landscape,” Dec. 18, 2012.

Do Or Do Not, There Is No Try

The Star Wars moves are some of my favorite of all time.  One of the most quoted lines from the movies is, "Do or do not. There is no try." This comes from Master Yoda as advice for Luke Skywalker. Luke is trying to get a ship out of a swamp using the Force. Luke has not mastered the Force yet, and is still learning. He is frustrated, not really believing that he can actually lift the ship.

I believe that while this line teaches a great lesson, an important lesson is often overlooked because of it. When we focus only on the doing or accomplishments in life, we often overlook how care we have become who we are. We have taken life step by step, day by day.  We sometimes forget but no one is perfect the first time they try anything. 

When you are born, you are not born knowing how to throw a baseball 98 mph.  You are not born speaking.  You and each baby must learn day by day, step by step.  A baby falls hundreds of times before they are able to take those first steps, and even then they fall done from time to time.  We must learn how to do things before we are able to do them.  

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I believe that the do or do not statement makes us focus on our goals, which we should.  Goals are good things to have.  "Do or do not.  There is not try," I feel implies that you either do something or you do not.  Taken literally, this is absolutely true. But the lesson I feel is being lost in found in the Emerson quote above: "Life is a journey, not a destination."  

Going on a journey takes effort.  You must have a destination in mind.  I wouldn't want to start on a road trip without knowing where I want to end up.  You need maps and money to make sure you get there.  In life, a goal can symbolize a journey.  When you have a goal such as climb Mount Everest, you do not simply fly to the base and start climbing.  You must prepare for it.  

Making plans takes effort.  Without effort, nothing gets done.  If I want to do the dishes, but put in no effort, they stay dirty in the sink.  When I think of the Yoda quote, sometimes I get discouraged because I am not able to do the things I want to.  I place limitations on my expectations because either I do my goal or I don't.  Often we can get discouraged because we see our goals as too big or unreasonable.  

When I think that my goals in life are too big, I remember the Emerson quote, how I need to take the journey of life one day at a time.  I often hate taking road trips, simply because of the travel involved.  My knees get achy if they are in the same position for a long time, which they are in a car on a road trip.  I want to get to the destination.  But if I remember the end goal, the travel is worth it.

I also think that what we learn on the journey gets overlooked a lot of the time.  If I am so impatient to reach the goal, I fail to see the beauty of the scenery, what wonders there are everywhere on this beautiful earth.  There are interesting things everywhere, even in Wyoming.  

Sometimes at the beginning of the year we have a tendency to set goals for the year which we are determined to accomplish.  I find that most of those goals are left by the wayside, forgotten in the busyness of life.  Looking back at the end of the year, I feel bad because I started out with such high hopes for my self for the year.  

But when I look back, I see how I have changed because of that year.  I have a goal to read 150 books in a year, which I doubt I will accomplish anytime soon.  I am fine with that.  It is something I would like to do eventually.  What I want to do, is read to be educated.  I love reading, and it has blessed my life immensely.  I look at what I read trying to accomplish my goal of 150 books read in a year, and see what lessons those books I did read taught me.  

If we do not quite reach our goals, just remember that what you have learned is often more important to who you are then accomplishing it would mean by itself.  Many athletes aspire to reach the NBA, NFL, MLB or NHL.  But very few actually do.  I think athletics are important because of the lessons learned who participating in them: teamwork, dedication, individual skill are all important lessons to learn in life.  They will help you while you take your life journey.  

Once I dreamed of being a photographer.  I took pictures of everything.  As I did so, I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought.  I have noticed that while I may not become a photographer, I did begin to appreciate what it takes to be one.  I look at stunning sunsets, photos of whales, and marvel at the skill it took to take that picture.  Sometimes as we pursue a goal, we set a new one and pursue that one instead.  

While we do need to take Yoda's advice, and do things, please do not forget to take the time to smell the roses at the side of the road.  Do not overlook the life lessons you will gain as you journey to your destination.  Remember, "Life is a journey not a destination"

thoughts on freedom

Regarding the "Declaration of Independence", what specific freedoms are being demanded? {remember, the Declaration is a list}. How are these freedoms reflected in the first ten amendments of the constitution? How many of the arguments in the Declaration could be used by the Iraqi people against the United States in the period 2003-2007? {You are being asked here to make connections cross-culturally and historically and think about the relationships of revolution to power, no matter where that occurs; you are not being asked to take a stand on the issue, merely to observe it as an objective scholar}.

Your Answer:

In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson lists grievances against King George. Among his lists of reasons why the colonies were separating from Great Britain were the denial of a trial by jury of peers, freedom from quartering soldiers in private homes, free trade with the world, freedom from standing armies and the right to elect representatives.

When you read the declaration and compare the freedoms the Founders wanted for their country, you will find many of the grievances Jefferson listed in what is known as the Bill of Rights. The Bills Of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The right to a trial by a jury of peers is found in Amendment 6, the right to be free from quartering soldiers is found in Amendment 3.

I think that many of the grievances that Jefferson lists in the Declaration are valid in many countries today. In Iraq recently, the United States government has violated many of these rights. They have detained many suspected terrorists, and not allowed them a trial by a jury of peers, they have quartered soldiers in many civilian areas, and kept a standing army.

I also think that what happened between the years 2003 and 2007 in Iraq violates the spirit of the declaration. When Jefferson penned the document, a large portion of Americans wanted freedom from Great Britain. They wanted to have their own country. I would say that many Iraqi’s didn’t really want freedom. They didn’t ask us to come in and liberate them.

I am not saying that what we did was a bad thing by liberating Iraq. I am saying that as the lecture we listened to by David Hackett Fischer pointed out that we should not force freedom on others. Each society, each country must want to be free for freedom to last. I would not be surprised if another dictator or a totalitarian government was running Iraq in the near future.

I think helping people obtain freedom is a good thing, but only if you really give them the freedom. The American government did not really free many Iraqi’s. Yes they got rid of the dictator who was oppressing the people. Being free means that you have as little government direction or involvement as possible. The Americans did not allow the Iraqi’s to direct many aspects of their government or economy. This was not truly freedom.

National Parks

For my humanities class at Salt Lake Community College I had to research national parks. What I found was interesting. I know that Utah has 5 national parks, but I have only visit 2 of them: Bryce Canyon and Zion's. I had learned about them, but I thought it would be cool to research them online, and here is what I found.

National parks and national monuments in the United States were originally individually managed under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. The movement for an independent agency to oversee these federal lands was spearheaded by business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, as well as J. Horace McFarland. With the help of journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather ran a publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior. They wrote numerous articles that praised the scenic qualities of the parks and their possibilities for educational, inspirational, and recreational benefits. This campaign resulted in the creation of a National Park Service. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that mandated the agency "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Mather became the first director of the newly formed NPS.

On March 3, 1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933. The act would allow the President to reorganize the executive branch of the United States government. It wasn't until later that summer when the new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, made use of this power. Deputy Director Horace M. Albright had suggested to President Roosevelt that the historic sites from the American Civil War should be managed by the National Park Service, rather than the War Department. President Roosevelt agreed and issued two Executive orders to make it happen. These two executive orders not only transferred to the National Park Service all the War Department historic sites, but also the national monuments managed by the Department of Agriculture and the parks in and around the capital, which had been run by an independent office.

In 1951, Conrad Wirth became director of the National Park Service and went to work on bringing park facilities up to the standards that the public expected. The demand for parks after the end of the World War II had left the parks overburdened with demands that could not be met. In 1952, with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he began Mission 66, a ten-year effort to upgrade and expand park facilities for the 50th anniversary of the Park Service. New parks were added to preserve unique resources and existing park facilities were upgraded and expanded.

In 1966, as the Park Service turned 50 years old, emphasis began to turn from just saving great and wonderful scenery and unique natural features to making parks accessible to the public. Director George Hartzog began the process with the creation of the National Lakeshores and then National Recreation Areas. By the end of the Twentieth Century, numerous National Heritage Areas were spread across the nation, preserving local parks for local people.

(Source: Wikipedia)

I know Yellowstone was one of the first, if not the first, national park established. These parks were meant to preserve and protect the land. The parks limit human contact with the environment and allow people to have the chance to experience what the land was once like.

What is my purpose for reading a novel?

What is my purpose of reading a novel? I was recently thinking of this when reading an article in my humanities textbook, entitled Reading in a Digital Age.  It is a fantastic article, one I would highly recommend you read.

In the article, Sven Birkerts, talks about how Google and computers are changing the way we as Americans read.  He shows how the more we use computers, the shorter our attention spans.  I personally have spent quite a bit of time on a computer.  I had the same thought.  He says that we expect our books to be like Google; to the point in a short amount of time.

He says that many people are unable to concentrate long enough to read the classics.  This has led to the rise of the novel.  A novel is typically about 200-400 pages, easy to read and follow.  I have noticed that the past few years the books I enjoy the most are novels.  I have read many classics, but they are written in a way I am not familiar with.  They are just harder to read.

Birkets talks about how he loves reading novels.  He does not remember the sequences of events after a few weeks of any particular novel, but he does remember themes and lessons.  He says that he has learned a lot about human nature in his readings.

There are some reasons I have reading novels.  I love novels because they allow me to live another life.  Not literally, but in my imagination.  I absolutely love Harry Potter because in those books, you see the transformation of a child into a man.  Yes, the books are written about evil, but there is truth in it.  I believe that truth is found everywhere, among all peoples.

I love fiction because of the life lessons learned.   In the book, Hanging by the Thread, I learned the importance of economic freedom.  I learned out if we lose this freedom, we are no longer free.  In the book The Alliance, I have learned the importance of self-growth.  I saw how hard it is to fight evil.  I learned that evil does need to be resisted, no matter the cost.  In Alas, Babylon, I have learned the importance of leadership.  Leadership is important, especially when traditional leadership breaks down.  We need people who are willing to make a stand for what is right.

What has reading novels done for me?  I feel like I am a better human being because I have seen how normal human emotions can make or break people.  I have seen, without really seeing, how people have a choice in every moment; they choose to be happy or sad; they can choose evil or good.  Just because someone chooses good one day does not mean they will the next.  In novels, I have seen people change for the better, and also for the worst.

There is nothing wrong with reading novels.  A good novel can teach you much about human nature.  I thought it was interesting that the popularity of the novel has risen with the rise of the internet.  I love the classics and believe that people should read them.  Basically, I think the more people read the better.

Morality vs Ethics

What is morality?  What is ethics?  These are some of the questions I think much of society in America today is struggling with, especially the youth.  As a young man in my 20's, I have a long life ahead of me.  I don't know what others my age are dealing with, but I believe that the answer to these questions will go a long way in determining our nation's future.

Morals are personal principles.  They are things that we live by.  Morals are often thought of as personal truth.  Many have a religion that teaches a certain moral code to live by.  Others do not.  We all have them, whether we know it or not.  Morals govern our every day choices.

Ethics are influenced by society.  Ethics are also a code that we live by.  Certain cultures and countries have different ethics.  Ethics change form generation to generation.  There are profession ethics, a code a doctor or lawyer lives by.  There are certain things they are not allowed to do.

Both ethics and morals influence the way we act.  When arguing with someone, we may believe they are wrong and we know the truth.  But because of our cultural ethics we do not scream in their face.  We listen and then make our case.  We take turns because that is what is polite.

Unfortunately, some of those who make the news today do so because they do not have high moral standards or ethics.  They do things that are immoral and unethical.  One such person was the former attorney general in Utah.  While he was in the AG's office as an assistant, he did some things that were unethcial, but not illegal.  Because the actions were not against the law, he was allowed to stay in office.

I believe that any public official, whether elected or appointed, should be held to high moral and ethical standards.  If they do things that are unethical, they should have the decency to leave office.  They may not be doing anything technically illegal, but if they don't have high moral standards I think they have no business leading our town, county, state or nation.

Whether you are religiouss or not you have a code of morals.  I believe if we all raised our moral, we could raise the ethics of our nation.  U