Monday, November 10, 2008
- I work part-time as a teacher of family doctors. The Program provides training on psychiatric disorders and emphasizes the Importance of emotional support. The new doctors are given plenty of time in Clinic to visit with their patients and learn about their challenges.
- One of our interns who has never lived in Utah and knows nothing about Mormons is still struggling to understand the cultural climate here. Last week he was interviewing a new patient and stumbled on what he thought was a raging psychosis.
- Doctor: "Well, Mrs. Olsen, we've talked about your high blood pressure and your medications. Are you experiencing any particular stress in your life?"
- Patient: "Oh, yes! It's the Sunbeams. They're driving me crazy."
- Doctor: (very surprised) "The sun beams?"
- Patient: "Yes. I've never had trouble with them before, but this group won't sit still. They bounce all over the room, and run out the door and down the hall."
- Doctor: (reaching for a pen) "Have you told anyone about this?"
- Patient: "Of course, I told the president."
- Doctor: "Really! What did the president tell you?"
- Patient: "She said Sunbeams are like that. I'm just going to have to learn to deal with them."
- Doctor: (concerned that he may be missing something) "I know people who are sensitive to sun beams. Do they cause you a rash or anything?"
- Patient: (confused) " A rash? No."
- Doctor: "What's the biggest problem they're creating?"
- Patient: "It's the noise. They just won't quit talking."
- Doctor: (astonished) "The sun beams are talking to you?"
- Patient: "Well, yes. But mostly they talk to each other."
- Doctor: (scribbling furiously in the chart) "I see. Can anyone else hear them talking?"
- Patient: (after a moment of silence) "You're not LDS, are you?"
- It's hard to understand how we get young men to leave home/ school/ work/ possessions to serve God. They are so impressed that there are people in the world willing to make that kind of sacrifice. But they don't understand it.
- It's hard for people to understand why we pay 10% of our income to the church. And above that why we pay fast offerings to help the poor.
- It's hard for others to understand how we can get so many volunteers and so much assistance to places around the world - so quickly.
- It's hard to understand how the church can function when it depends on volunteer support for busy callings like Bishops, Relief Society Presidents, Scout master.
Sunbeams
By: Robert Armstrong, M.D.
I love this story because it illustrates an important truth - we are different than the rest of the world - WE are a PECULIAR People. And it's hard for others to understand us, when they don't know us. And in reality even if they do know us, it's hard for them to understand howwe do what we do, unless they believe as we believe.
I have friends who are amazed at the church and can't understand how we are able to do some of the things we do - for example...
It might be easier for them to understand if they understood our commitment to the Lord, our culture of commitment. We are on a different path - a path prescribed by the Lord of Heaven and Earth. The fact that we have been given a charge to be peculiar, and to be elect..to be in but not of the world, will automatically put us at odds at times with the rest of the world.
This shouldn't surprise us. Because so often the Lord himself is not understood very well. And why isn't he understood. He explains in Isaiah:
8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts
Nothing exemplifies the differences we have from the world and the potential persecutions that might come as a result of that difference than the national election which happened this past Tuesday.
First - I want to establish what a wonderful thing it is to live in a country where we as a people can engage in a national debate over issues and leaders, and then cast our vote regarding how that debate should handled. And then what a remarkable thing it is that as a people we will unify ourselves behind the will of the people the decisions that are made. We adjust and move forward. Our personal choices may not always be the popular or winning choice, but we as a nation have agreed to bind ourselves to those free elections. It is remarkable and a blessing to live in this free land.
One of the major issues in debate this past election was whether to allow the definition of marriage to include any form of union, or whether is should be reserved for one man and one woman.
The church's views and efforts to help preserve the sanctity of marriage have caused many enemies of marriage to oppose us. They have held protests around our temples to the degree where they have had to close the temples where these protests have happened for fear of violence.
I don't know how you've felt as you've read the criticisms of the church, or as you've seen the protests happening around our temples and around temple square. But for me it has been somewhat disheartening to see so much anger directed at the church. It doesn't surprise me - but it does remind me that we are heading into times when the church's views will not be popular with the press or with the public at large. And how important it is that we have our own testimonies prepared and strengthened to endure those times.
It has caused me to consider on the persecutions heaped upon the early Saints who were at odds with the public sentiment of their day. And how they endured their persecutions with faith. It has caused me to think about the Savior and the persecutions he endured because of his unpopular ideas.
The Savior said:
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
• • •
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
The blessing that has come to me personally in this conflict, is that it has caused me to more earnestly study the church's position on the hard issues at hand. So that I more clearly understand the argument of the church and why we are so firmly behind keeping the definition of marriage pure and sacred rather than letting it come to mean anything less - especially to allow it to become associated with moral sin.
My testimony of the principles and doctrines of the church of this sacred principle has grown. And I hope that it has had this same effect on all of you.
If any of you struggle with your feelings regarding this issue, I implore you to go out to the Church's website (LDS.ORG) and then select the "Newsroom" . There you can follow the church's efforts to help support the effort to preserve marriage and to understand how the church responds to some of the difficult questions that arise from this topic. I would encourage each of you, especially if you struggle with the issues which are brought up, to study as deeply as you can. Because the basic premises of this issue won't change in the near future and the fight will increase with time.
There has been much written and said about this critical issue. Two statements were especially touching to me. And I wanted to be sure that all of you had a chance to hear them. Both found on the website.
First is the statement which the church made in response to the criticisms and protests leveled at it by the Anti-proposition 8 supporters-
It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election.
Members of the Church in California and millions of others from every faith, ethnicity and political affiliation who voted for Proposition 8 exercised the most sacrosanct and individual rights in the United States — that of free expression and voting.
While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process.
Once again, we call on those involved in the debate over same-sex marriage to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other. No one on either side of the question should be vilified, harassed or subject to erroneous information.
This applies to us. To the degree that we get involved in the debate with friends, family or at work, we need to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards those on the other side of the question. They are not villains. They are our brothers and sisters who disagree with us on this important issue.
Shortly after these protests began, friends of our faith who likewise were involved in supporting the proposition, stood up to acknowledge that they were in support as well.
I thought what a kind gesture the Catholics made in our behalf - something which I don't think other churches ever did when the saints in the early church were being persecuted.
“Catholics stand in solidarity with our Mormon brothers and sisters in support of traditional marriage — the union of one man and one woman — that has been the major building block of Western Civilization for millennia.
“The ProtectMarriage coalition, which led the successful campaign to pass Proposition 8, was an historic alliance of people from every faith and ethnicity. LDS were included — but so were Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox, African-Americans and Latinos, Asians and Anglos.
“Bigoted attacks on Mormons for the part they played in our coalition are shameful and ignore the reality that Mormon voters were only a small part of the groundswell that supported Proposition 8.
“As the former bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, I can attest to the fact that followers of the Mormon faith are a good and generous people with a long history of commitment to family and giving to community causes.
“I personally decry the bigotry recently exhibited towards the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — coming from the opponents of Proposition 8, who ironically, have called those of us supporting traditional marriage intolerant.
“I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words — and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8.”
Brethren - I hope that we are all in alignment with the prophet on these issues. Of course all of us have the freedom to choose for ourselves and to vote. But when the prophet speaks, the debate should be over. We should do all we can to soften our hearts and respond as he would have us respond. Is there one among us who holds the keys of revelation for the world? Is there any among us who is sustained by members of the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator? Yes- we have been given a prophet of God, specifically for challenging times such as these.
I would hope that when the prophet speaks, as he has on this issue, that we would adhere to his words. I've been a bit disheartened to hear that there are Saints who stand opposed to the prophet in this.
When I was baptized, I joined the Lords team. He not only became my coach, he became my savior and leader in all things. When the prophet speaks, I accept it as the words from the Lord unto me. I think of it as Alma explained when he taught his people in Alma 5: 61-62.
He says: "And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.
And I love his next phrase…
I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.
In other words - once we accept that invitation to follow God - we are saying - we are yours dear Lord. We will follow thee as though thy words are commandments to us. We are on your team. We will do what you would have us do.
May we do that. Even when it's hard.
- Financial and economy problems - We were warned about these days, and they will continue to persist. If we gave heed, we should be grateful for the preparation which had. If we didn't give heed and are feeling the effects, we can be grateful to have a Prophet of God who will give us direction still, and to which we can give heed. Here are a few of the things the Prophet has counseled us to still do.
- Tithing is still important - Those who pay their tithes will literally have the windows of heaven opened, and the blessing poured out upon their heads - to the point they can't receive it all.
- Blessings we look for:
- Have greater faith to endure trials
- Have sufficient to meet your needs
- Have management skills to manage finances
- Care for the poor
- Perhaps the prophet has been called for these times because of his love and compassion for all - his desire to bless them.
- It has been quoted of Pres Monson that he said "I always considered myself as a bishop who erred on the side of generosity, and if I had to do it again, I would be even more generous."
- We likewise need to be generous in our fast offerings and in our contributions of time and talent as we serve the poor in our wards.
- Debt avoidance is still critical - seek to get out of debt
- Going into debt is easy and entered into quickly - climb out is slow and usually very painful.
- Family Meeting Julie told us how her brother who was in real estate used to make fun of her and her husband who opted to have a more modest home in favor of keeping a manageable mortgage. He was living in a large home. He know has had to walk away from his home.
- Get your food supply-
- Use the welfare manuals - All is safely gathered in
- The church has shifted it's focus from having these huge year supplies. To having us first get a 90 day supply of food we eat already. Do you have sufficient food and cash to handle your famlies needs for 90 days?
- First get your individual needs taken care of - work with your family to make sure their needs are taken care of.
- Simplify life. Be still and know that God is.
- Don't seek to make life more complex by getting involved in everything and every scheme the world has setup - stay focus on the simple truths which bring joy and peace. Don't look beyond the mark for more of the riches of the world.
- Easier to get into something than to get out of it.
- Follow the Prophet
- Observe the sabbath day (DC59:9) Rich are those with adequate necessity
- Story of Elder Holmes who as a new convert heard in conference importance of not working on Sunday. He proposed to his partners….he was youngest of the 5. They pointed out that 61% of all closings happen on Sunday. They did it - their profits rose regularly - didn't dip - and they were only working 6 days instead of 7. Then later after his mission he bought into a chain of gas stations. He closed on Sunday. Profits rose - never dipped, and only worked 6 days.
- This relationship and covenant is sacred.
- It is the most important relationship you have
- Love her when you're a young married
- Love her when you're in middle of raising your family
- Love her when the kids have moved out.
- Love her when you're both old.
- May we live as Elder Wirthlin asked us to live in the last Conference - Come what may, and love it. .
- My witness is that we will have more of the 'love it', if we live it right.
- And how do we live it right? WE follow the prophet - and we obey commandments
One last bit of thing which we received from Elder Holmes, and one of the key things I've learned from this experience with Proposition 8 is that we need to love our spouse.
That love can deepen. She can be your best friend. Through all of these years.
May we do so is my humble prayer.
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