My Mustard Seed - The Joy and Challenges of Gospel-centered Living in the 21st century

Protect Marriage Amendment and Churches Rights

hintbw — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:15:32 -0700

There are protect marriage amendments up for vote in at least two states that I'm aware of, California and Arizona. Opponents of these efforts often criticize the LDS church for supporting these measures. Unfortunately, in today's political and moral climate, standing up for one's beliefs is often mistaken for intolerance by those who do not share that belief. This post is not about whether or not the protect marriage amendments should pass, but rather addresses why a church (like the Mormon church) has a right to be involved in the process. The protect marriage amendments are not fundamentally about discriminating against people who are gay. Their primary purpose is to seek to recognize the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman in law such that a judiciary cannot arbitrarily redefine what marriage is. The amendments as they currently stand do not seek to restrict any of the civil rights already granted to gay couples (things such as hospital visitation rights and others). So why then even need a marriage amendment? Why not let gay individuals marry just as a man and a women can? The basic reason I believe is that the redefinition of marriage threatens the ability of churches to practice their religious and moral beliefs in certain social situations. In a sense, not having this amendment in place is resulting in judicial decisions that have a potential “chilling” effect on certain religiously-based social efforts. Certainly this an issue where moral, religious, and legal concerns intersect. In addition to the moral and religious reasons why a church would and should be allowed to be involved ,let me give two practical examples that might illustrate why an issue such as this might be so important to the LDS church (and other churches too).

If marriage is redefined (as it currently has been in California) to be between two individuals (regardless of gender) then a gay couple has essentially the same legal standing as a traditional couple to adopt children. Setting aside religious beliefs about children and being raised with a mother and a father, this new legal definition of marriage has the potential to affect the ability of adoption services to define who could adopt children through their agency. As far as the LDS church is concerned, this could bring concern over the effect a redefinition of marriage might have on the LDS Family Services adoption program.

Another potential implication is the use of LDS temples as a place where a man and women can be married for time and all eternity and that is also recognized by the civil authorities. If marriage is redefined to include any individual marrying another regardless of gender, could there be implications about a government recognizing a marriage performed in and by a religious authority that "restricts" the people who can be married there to a man and a woman?

These are just some of the possible policy ramifications that this issue raises. Is it certain they will occur, of course not. But for a church who holds marriage between a man and a woman as a basic tenant of its belief, is it something they can just ignore and wish for the best. Regardless of whether you agree with this definition of marriage or not, hopefully this helps you understand the implications a church could see in recent judicial actions to redefine marriage and why they deserve to have a voice about the issue.

For more information on the issue you can see YES for marriage.

Death by Entertainment

hintbw — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:56:04 -0700

"Some young people are amusing themselves to death—spiritual death." - Dallin H. Oaks, "Good, Better, Best", October 2007 General Conference

I was recently pondering what I had done in the past week and settled my thoughts on a significant amount of time and effort that I had spent on determining the entertainment I wanted to participate in or have available for me to view. I had picked out some great shows to watch or things to do! What caused me to reflect was the emphasis I had placed on it. Good, clean entertainment is important in today's world and it can be a wholesome thing. But part of me wondered if it might not just be young people who might be "amusing themselves to death."

Obviously life brings with it an ebb and flow of where our time and attention goes, but this question gave me pause and might be a useful tool to, on occasion, take a measurement of where we are at with this, "Do I spend more time planning and pursuing my entertainment than I do my spirituality?"

President Brigham Young said: “The worst fear that I have about [members of this Church] is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and his people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth” (in Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Work [1936], 128).

In reality, this "test" is most likely just the modern day challenge that has always been extended to God's people - will we "choose" his way and his goals, or will we choose our own? I heard one of my Church leaders today mention that part of our life's challenges is to come to love the things of God (scriptures, temple, gospel) more than the other things of the world.

The following questions might be useful for reflection:
1. Am I successfully having regular personal religious practice (PRP) daily (prayer, scripture study, etc)? (I'm willing to bet that we find time for our favorite kinds of entertainment daily/regularly)?
2. How much time do I spend daily or weekly on my favorite entertainment activity? (tv, books, movies, video games, scrapbooking, etc)
3. How much time do I spend on church service or my (PRP)?

The point of these reflections is to identify areas to improve, not to initiate feelings of guilt, and to help encourage a wise balance.(Mosiah 4:27). While we will likely never find time for all of the things we'd like or even "need" to do, as we strive to establish the appropriate balance in the leisure and spiritual aspects of our life, we can find the peace and confidence the Lord has promised those who seek to diligently obey.

Leaving Facebook

hintbw — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:10:34 -0700

Cross posted to http://blog.hintonweb.com

I'm member of many different social networks (Classroom 2.0 on Ning, LinkedIN, Twitter, Facebook, and other communities like Drupal.org and Moodle.org among others). Social networks, like other mediums of media, are successful that more people view or participate in them. In large part they are judged successful by how capable they are of connecting you with people or things that you are interested in. Likewise, they tend to fail when they are unable to help you make those connections. One of the powerful new "technologies" is that ability of these social networks to suggest people, events, or other resources based on what it knows about you. I think this is a tremendously useful tool in helping us connect with things or people very easily. So why am I leaving Facebook - especially when I would maintain that it does or has helped me connect with people and things that I have an interest in (family, friends, people who share my interests, etc)?

The ultimate reason is that Facebook, in connecting me with my friends, family members, and other events and subjects I was interested in, also presented me with things that are horribly offensive to me. So offensive that those things completely outweigh the other things it was doing well leading me to the decision that the only choice I had was to choose to not participate. So I'll be closing my Facebook account (which I hear is not that easy to do actually). In the final judgement, Facebook failed me, it connected me to things that I didn't want exposure to often enough that it wasn't worth continuing my participation. My only question (which I'm going to Twitter and email to friends shortly) is how they put up with the exposure to pornographic images as they use Facebook - do they encounter them frequently? I would be doing unrelated things and then BAM! an add with a slew of pornographic images would appear on a sidebar. Once a event that was advertised in the Phoenix, AZ network had a very objectionable picture. I couldn't get it off my page until I changed networks, completely leaving the Phoenix, AZ network, even then the Phoenix, AZ network info (including the picture) didn't immediately disappear.

I'm not a novice to the Internet or social networks here. I realize that occasionally, no matter how skilled or wise an Internet user you are, that you may run into an image or two, in those cases you ignore it and just move away from the pages. I tried those things with Facebook, I even used Firefox's ability to block images from certain URLs and still ran into things that were objectionable. I wanted to use it, I really did. I think Facebook has value - but it simply wasn't worth it for the content I kept running into.

Allowing users to contribute content is a powerful new tool provided by the Internet today. Social networks success will depend on their how well they let users (and the social networks) select content that users want to see and avoid people and content that they don't. I have some ideas on how Facebook could get me back, which I think would hold true for many others as well. That post will have to wait until after work however...

Until then, for now, goodbye Facebook......

A 4th Quarter Mentality

hintbw — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:54:21 -0800

Being the sports fan that I am, I'm fascinated by players who seem to have a special "4th Quarter" mentality. When the game comes down to the wire, these players continue to give their all, refuse to be rattled by the pressure, and "make the play" when others don't. Often, it is simply a matter of those players continuing to give their best, even when it seems like there is nothing left to give and little hope remains. They know, however, that with a little extra effort for a relatively small amount of time they can enjoy the sweet feeling of victory, instead of the bitterness of defeat.

This concept has a parallel in the spiritual and temporal challenges we face in life. The scriptural way of saying, "Have a 4th Quarter Mentality" might be "endure to the end." Consistently in the scriptures we are reminded that, if we "endure to the end," we shall be saved. Paraphrased it may be saying something like, "Continue to give the very best you have, right to the very end, and good things will happen." Often we may feel at the end of our rope, like we can't go any further, and yet the Lord beckons us, calls us, and encourages us forward, knowing that if we continue onward he can bless us and lift us.

The most salient example I have of this principle (at least the one most recently on my mind) is putting my kids to sleep at night. I have 3 kids, age 5 and under (5, 4, and 2). Putting these active, wonderful kids to bed can be a trying experience at times (often!) and occurs during a time of the day when my patience and energy are at their lowest levels (a 4th quarter moment for me). If I lose my cool and yell at them when they ask for a drink of water for the 5th time, or when my 2-year old gets out of bed for the 10th time, it affects the spirit with which I, and they, end that day. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, a bitter feeling of a degree of failure, regardless of the wonderful other things that may have happened that day. When I find a way to overcome my fatigue, however, and petition the Lord's help tp find an additional ounce of patience I thought I lacked, there is a sublimeness in knowing that I left my children feeling loved as they ended another day, a spirit of gratitude and love is maintained in my own heart (instead of one of disappointment and repentance!). I end the day feeling like, with the help of the Lord (the ultimate teammate in our eternal journey), we have won. There are, of course, many other moments in life where I encounter similar challenges of my discipleship.

In the end, we are not perfect and neither are the challenges in life we are called to face. Some of us will inevitably experience more significant "4th Quarter Moments" then others. Just as a champion athlete, however, when we hit these moments arise in our life, we can find within ourselves "the ability to hang in there and keep pressing forward a little bit longer." It is comforting too to know that, through prayer, we can call upon a loving Heavenly Father who wants to help us make it through the "4th Quarters" of our life. As we make this extra effort to dig a little deeper in those challenging moments in our life, we will step a little closer to the ultimate victory of eternal life for which we all are striving and become ever more like our Savior, who, in his own "4th Quarter Moment", won the greatest, toughest, and most significant victory this world will ever know..

PB&J and Prayer

hintbw — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:21:51 -0800

For Family Home Evening (FHE) last week we had a lesson on prayer with the kids. My wife Amber always comes up with creative ways to engage the kids in the lesson (with 3 kids 5 and under it makes FHE lessons a little exciting at times), but this time I was in charge of the lesson portion. As I thought how to help teach the kids about praying for more than just the same things and to reinforce the four parts of a typical prayer, the idea of using "Making PB&Js" came to mind as a potential object lesson for the four parts of prayer.

Now my kids love PB&Js (which kids don't) and, with the promise of a PB&J to eat, they stayed pretty focused, especially for one of my lessons. The two pieces of bread were the opening and closing of the prayer and the peanut butter and jelly were the asking and thanking parts of the prayer. I spread just a little of each and asked them if the PB&J would taste good (you can imagine their response!). So we talked about asking and thanking Heavenly Father for more things (as I spread more of the peanut butter and jelly on the pieces of bread).

It may sound hokey (and it probably is), but it turned out to be a lesson that we can refer back to as a reminder for our kids about meaningful prayer. Of course, all three of them enjoyed the sandwich as a closing "treat" to the lesson.

Advice for the New Year

hintbw — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:18:41 -0800

20 Tips for a Positive New Year!
By Jon Gordon

1. Take a 10-30 minute "Thank you" walk every day. While you walk practice gratitude. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep - it's the ultimate energizer.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is to___________ today.

5. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

6. Read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Do the "one thing" you have always wanted to do.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

11. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

12. Engage in daily random acts of kindness.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing positive energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________.

19. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

Mormons are Christians

hintbw — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:04:45 -0700

After reading repeated stories in the media where major Christian denominations discuss whether Mormons are Christians and how they should be considered, I wondered where they received the authority to decide what or who is Christian and who or what is not. Elder Holland's talk, directly and to the point, helped delineate why we are Christians and why others should not doubt that we are. I was happy to hear Elder Holland's talk because I suspect we will continue to hear it discussed over the airwaves about whether Mormons are Christians. Both for Latter-day Saints and for those not of our church, this talk gives a strong witness of our belief in Christ and Christianity. I suppose others might still claim that we do not adhere to their understanding of what Christianity is, but that is basically saying that our two religions have different beliefs and understandings of Christ - which is of course true. Perhaps we can simply state that our belief that we are Christians as was defined in the Book of Mormon - those who believed in the cause of Christ - that he is the Redeemer of the world and of all mankind.

Elder Nelson's follow-up talk about the Bible and the Book of Mormon seemed to continue in a similar vain. I wonder if any excerpts of these will get put onto the church's Youtube channel as they were very clear and direct about the Mormon-Christian issue that is so popular in the media.

The best lesson from Conference

hintbw — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:41:08 -0700

The best lesson from conference might have been the act of kindness demonstrated by Elder Nelson during Elder Wirthlin's talk (Elder Wirthlin had started trembling terribly and so Elder Nelson stood slightly behind him to support and to steady him - Elder Wirthlin is 90). Elder Wirthlin said, "Love is the beginning, middle, and end of our discipleship." Was there a better example of that than Elder Nelson? How like the Savior was that act, standing by us, supporting us in the moments we tremble under our burdens. What a terrific discourse both in word and by example.

"Endure to the End" - the real definition

hintbw — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:06:24 -0700

Elder Uchtdorf spoke on enduring to the end and this was probably my "favorite" talk of the session (we are allowed to have favorites aren't we?)

I thought his first definitions of enduring to the end were great!

"When I was a child, enduring to the end was trying to stay awake through my church meetings."

One of the most important points I heard was when he said that enduring the end is not just hanging in their through life's difficulties, it is filling our lives from sunrise to sunrise with things that are essential and worthwhile to our lives. Enduring to the end requires trusting the Lord. There will be days and nights when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down, at that time, we should remember the Savior's injunction to "Come unto Me".

I think Elder Maxwell, a few years ago, gave a talk about enduring to the end, I look forward to the opportunity to cross reference the two talks because both have some powerful doctrine about how the Lord desires us to Endure to the End.

Faith: A Principle of Power

hintbw — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 10:51:40 -0700

Sister Cook and Elder Condie gave talks that dove-tailed very well I believe. Elder Condie's mentioned faith and the 4 elements of action that Sis Cook reminded us of (from President Hinckley's talk at YW 2007 Meeting)

1. Pray
2. Study
3. Pay Tithing
4. Attend Meetings

The question I had to ask myself was if in these small things, is my faith being demonstrated to the Lord. Can I expect the Lord's blessings if I am not exercising my faith in even these basic ways?