Dan Brooks's Blog, page 28

We Are All God's Children

Jesus says "As ye have done it unto the least of my bretheren ye have also done it unto me."  So Christ tells us how we treat even the least of those we come across in life is us treating Christ in thse same ways.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 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.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:34-46)

I had one commenter tell me that the drug addled vagrants to day are different from the beggars of scripture.  Yes and no.  Drugs as we know them today are very different from those of antiquity. But Noah was a drunkard and that is an addiction common today and common to those who are homeless beggars today.  But if people are so different today than they were in Biblical times then the scriptures would have no value or meaning today because no one could relate to the characters in scripture.  

People are still people and they still fall into all the pitfalls they always have; addiction, gambling sexual sins, theft and more.  The failure to recognize Jesus in those we meet in modern life isn't just sinful it's heartbreaking both to me and to those who are shamed, ostracized, put down, belittled and hurt by those holier than thou, self-righteous attitudes. 

When Christ says "the least of my bretheren" He means the people who have the least value or no value just disdain in our society both modern and ancient.

When people say "they are different today than they were in Biblical times" it is a justification to judge, mistreat, ostracize and shame people these days.

It is a way of saying these people may not be forgiven, they are scum, less than dirt and worthy of nothing but disdain.

It is also a way of saying "I love them because I served them but they are still scum."

My heart breaks for those who have been at the receiving end of such attitudes and treatment.  

During the ministry of Christ He blessed, healed and served those who were considered scum in His time.  He was rebuked for such kindness and compassion.

Jesus' feet were washed by a sinful woman, perhaps a prostitue, yet Jesus defends them woman and forgives her her sins but rebukes the judgmental pharisee who condemns the woman because of the tyoe of person she was.  It is a common thread throughout history to consider some less than human which is how the pharisee views the woman but Jesus sees only a daughter of God.


36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:36-50

The compassion Jesus showed the woman is why she took such overwhelming over the top actions and it isn't just her faith that healed her, it was the unconditional love of Christ that did so.

When you look into the eyes of a homeless person, a drug addict, a prostitute or a murderer if you see a man or woman created in God's image, if you see a child of God then you are seeing through the eyes of Christ because that is how He saw all He met.

These ideas of one person being above another or being of a better class of human being is a human failing and it's a common one.

To see the divine imprint of God in the eyes and in the hearts of all is how Jesus was able to be so compassionate to those He met that were considered  to be less than.

Jesus told us not to judge, judgment is His job alone and even though He was without sin and could cast the first stone, He did not.  Instead He told her to "go and sin no more."  Now if they fail to sin no more the judgment to follow is God's alone and has nothing to do with us.

If someone receives no forgiveness then what motivation do they have for living righteously for according to Paul "All have fallen short of the glory of God" meaning we all have sinned and none are perfect and sinless but Christ. 

So though you may feel you are better than others you are not free from sin or mistake. 
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you againPeople are just as human today as they were at any other point in history, past, present and future.  And we are called to love them as much as Christ loved us during His life and ministry.  He gave us the command to love one another and forbade us to judge one another.  He said by their fruits ye shall know them.  He said it isn't what goes into your mouth that defiles you it's what comes out and that a good heart brings forth goodness and an evil heart brings forth evil.Love and compassion builds bridges, it heals, it edifies but judgmental attitudes hurt and hinder the growth and lives of those who bear the brunt of such mistreatment.The reason we need to be compassionate to those sick from the many social ills that pervade our modern cities and towns is because only love and compassion can cure those ills.  Judgments and shame only add to the problem they do not aid at all.
If you can't see that people are just as human, just as strong and just as sinful and weak as they were at any point in time then it's because you refuse to see it not because it isn't true.
People may use different tools to sin but the point is that we are all children if the God you claim to love and we are commanded to love one another, it is only Jesus who has the right to judge that is not for us to do. Love is the antidote to the fallen world in which we live. Love is how Hesus made a difference and that is exactly how we are to build up the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. "Darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."  Dr. Martin Luther King 

The Cracks Are Where The Light Shines Through

I was reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne and he goes on about how the cracks are where the lights shines through meaning that sometimes our faults or cracks become the fissure where the inspiration and light of The Lord come shining through. That our wounds are where that Love of God finds it's way into our system as a way of blessing rather than source of infection as so many proclaim.

Aristotle said "No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness."

That madness is exactly the source of inspiration to motivate some one like Tesla into trying things no one had ever thought of before.  It's what allowed Da Vinci to invent things hundreds of years ahead of his time.

Sometimes our flaws can be strengths, like my tendency towards obsession can have the same effect as good old fashioned discipline when I use it with restraint.

Mother Teressa collected shoes for the less fortunate, the orphan and lepers amongst others yet she always chose the most beat up shoes for herself so everyone else could have a better selection.  She did this to the point that her feet became deformed and misshapen.

While to some this may seem gross, to me I'd say it's beautiful.

Mother Teressa had a few cracks and maybe a screw or two loose but how many people were blessed as a result?  How much light enlightened those around her?

And does Jesus seem a little of kilter to you?

He said the last shall be the first and the first shall be the last, He told His disciples to find the temple tax money in the mouth of a fish, He came back from the dead and the first thing He said to His disciples was "Have you anything to eat?"

He rises from the dead, conquers death and the first thing He wants to say when He comes back is "Where's the food?  Let's eat!"

He also describes a mode of living where all the money of the community is pooled and spread amongst the members according to need.  The Law Of Consecration in other words.

This is the opposite of capitalism, it is opposed to the ways of the world, it is upside down yet it is what Jesus instructs us to do.  It is not Jesus who is upside down in His thinking, it is us who are upside down in relation to the ways of The Lord.

That is the madness that needs to work it's way into our lives and we must do better to allow it free entry.

So it is the ways of the world, the ways of men that are backward compared to the ways of The Lord.  So what we often consider to be faults might actually be there for a reason.  For example, imagine a circle with a wedge missing, like pacman.

Pacman goes along singing a joyful song about how he's going to find his missing piece, he stops and talks to many people as he searches for this missing piece.  Then he finally finds it and instead of moving slowly he rolls fast-too fast!  And he can't sing because he no longer has a mouth, he no longer talks to people or visits with them because of his missing piece.

So missing the joys of life he had when his piece was missing he spits it out and begins to sing again as he slowly rolls along his way.

The point is that maybe those cracks, those missing pieces of yours are absent for good cause.  Maybe being complete and perfect isn't as helpful or healthy as one may think.

My Faith Journey

I am 34 years old, I was born in downtown Salt Lake City at what was then Holy Cross hospital which is now Salt Lake Regional.

My grandparents on my dad's side are staunch ultra-orthodox LDS.  My mom's side are non religious and very intellectual thus not easily persuaded toward religion.  When I was born it was in a Catholic hospital my dad's parents pushed hard to have my mom transferred to LDS so I could be born at a Mormon hospital and not in a Catholic one.

This pretty much set the stage for how religion in my life would pan out throughout my childhood up until I was 18.

Growing up as 4th generation Military I believed that I should love my fellow brothers and sisters, but there were reason for a "just war" and even the idea that if anyone dies in a war for their country they go straight to heaven.

I noticed growing up that people refer to Jesus by name but the content of His words and teaching were abandoned in favor of the teachings of men.  This made me focus with almost laser like efficiency on the four gospels and I even got one that high lighted Jesus' words in red.  So I could go right to the Savior Himself to see what He had to say, to see what He did, what He sacrificed and how He lived.

Then came the teenage attitude that I know it all therefore I know best and I left the church and even the idea of God as being real behind.  But I still read the four gospels, I still thought that the historical accuracy surrounding the existence of God aside, Jesus prescribes the best method of living.

And then I read the Dammapada, the words of Buddha.  And I read the Koran, then I read the Bagavad Gita, I read the Nag Hammadi library and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

I felt inspiration and though I read Nietzsche, Kirekegaard, Plato and learned Aristotle's Nicomachean ethics and loved the heart behind Plato's Republic Utopian ideal I was no longer satisfied by philosophy alone, I thirsted for theology so I went back looking at all the other faiths that I used to transition out of faith to attempt to transition back into faith.

So rather than just read scripture of every faith I went to a synagogue, the to two different Buddhist temples, then a Mosque, then a Catholic Cathedral and I went to countless Christian churches of every denomination I hadn't found what I was looking for though I felt inspired and even felt the spirit.  The only church I adamantly refused to set foot in was a Mormon church.

Having been pushed so hard as a kid into everything Mormon and being forced to go as a teenager only made my disdain stronger and what sealed the deal for me is the outrageous attitude and self-righteous judgment of so many Mormons I'd known.  The "Yes, he's mormon but he not a good enough Mormon ie doesnt pay tithing or obey the word of wisdom."  I wanted no part of a culture and church so entrenched in the self-righteous judgment Jesus Himself forbid.  The holier than thou attitude was too common and too much.

Then years later I met my wife and was outright hostile to the LDS church and members, after Prop 8 especially.  But then she helped me get over my issues with Mormonism and Mormon people in general.  She said I shouldn't avoid Jesus just because these people failed to be true Christians and set out to hurt me or who hurt me out of ignorance, she said don't go to church for the people, go for Christ.  Don't blame God for the actions of others, they have free will to do what they will.

And she introduced me to her friend Carl.  One does not simply underestimate the recall and literary or scriptural knowledge of Carl. He had also read much of what I had and I had never met a Mormon who had read any scripture from other faiths.  The point here is that Carl and his wife shattered every negative stereo type I had of Mormons based on my prior experience.

That was key in getting me to go back to an LDS church and was I did I felt what I had been missing in every house of worship I had entered; I felt at home.

Then I delved into the Bible again even deeper than I ever had before.  Book of Mormon to but the Bible is my personal favorite scripture, the four gospels specifically.  An I was all the better for that effort.

I learned not to hold the institution of the church accountable for members actions or words and vice versa.

At this point I came across a blog post that put me in a rage.  It was about how Jesus was in fact as committed to non-violence as Dr.King or Gandhi was and that He never would have been a soldier Himself therefore we should not be soldiers either.

And even after reading it and the Bible over and over to try and spot a flaw or weakness in this guy's argument, I couldn't because he was right that was in fact what Jesus said and He never once killed anyone, He loved us all instead.

After that I took a deeper look at scripture I challenged previous ideas about God and about our church too.  I realized most of what I had a problem with was not validated or even found in scripture and so was inconsequential.  I feel I'm in a better place, I'm content in my beliefs and feel that what I believe has produced good fruits.

I believe Christ was amongst other things a pacifist, I believe that we are commanded not to judge one another but we are commanded to love one another even our enemies.  I believe that all of these things are intertwined into all of Christ's teachings because when He said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself He said that all of the law and all the prophets hang on those two commandments.

I have been blessed and enriched by these new understandings.

I thank my wife for receiving the gift of faith again after having lost it.  And she credits me for the same in return.  So I suppose we each supported the other and we both succeeded together because of that.

Jesus: The Prince of Peace not the God of War

Jesus tells us that most people love their family and friends but hate their enemies.  Then He tells us we should love not only our friends and family but we should love our enemies.  And when Jesus tells us to love our enemies I'm pretty sure He meant don't kill them.

Christians in history practiced non-violence until Constantine.  That you can find plenty of reading material on.  David was prevented from building the first Temple because he was a man of war.

"But this word of the Lord came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight." (1 Chronicles 22:8)

 In Matthew 5:39 Jesus says do not resist evil.  But the word translated as resist in Greek is almost always used in connection with violence so Jesus is not saying do not resist, be passive.  He is saying do not resort to violence in your resistance.

What the world saw under Gandhi's leadership and what America and the world saw under Dr.King's movement IS what Jesus meant by loving your enemies until you prevail.

Some may say that non-violent movements rarely succeed.  And that's true.  But then again it is so rarely tried.  And does warfare always succeed?  I think it's better to lose having not killed than to win having committed genocide.

To me it's a death before dishonor sort of thing.

I don't see murder or killing as honorable even if I can understand why it happened.  When people talk about God and war and they say "If heavenly father wants there to be a war or for us to win then that's what'll happen."

That is a major error in judgment.  I think the analogy is better if you ask "If one of your children killed the other what would your reaction be?"  This is what it's like for God, He loves us all so He doesn't want any of us to win if it means one or more of us will lose and He certainly doesn't want us to kill or murder one another.

He wants us to love one another.  That is how Christ says His disciples will be known, by their love for everyone.

To me I don't see the honor in killing.  I think of it the way I think Christ may have in that He refused to raise a sword to the soldiers who came for Him in the middle of the night, He only raised His hand to heal the ear of a soldier that Peter had cut off.  Christ loved His enemies so much that He let them kill Him AND begged God for them to be forgiven for what they were doing.

That is how loving your enemies is done.

 The fruits of love are often but not always blissful but the fruits of war are rotted. 

This isn't easy and it was never meant to be, it was only ever meant to be worth it.

The Power And Sins Of Speech

From wikipedia I give you a definition of a term I will shortly dive into.

"The Hebrew term lashon hara (or loshon hora ) (Hebrew לשון הרע; "evil tongue") is the halakhic term for derogatory speech about another person.[1] Lashon hara differs from defamation in that its focus is on the use of true speech for a wrongful purpose, rather than falsehood and harm arising. By contrast, hotzaat shem ra ("spreading a bad name"), also called hotzaat diba, consists of untrue remarks, and is best translated as "slander" or "defamation". Hotzaat shem ra is worse, and consequentially a graver sin, than lashon hara.[1]
The act of gossiping is called rechilut, and is also forbidden by Jewish law.[1]
Speech is considered to be lashon hara if it says something negative about a person or party, is not previously known to the public, is not seriously intended to correct or improve a negative situation, and is true. Statements that fit this description are considered to be lashon hara, regardless of the method of communication that is used, whether it is through face-to-face conversation, a letter, telephone, or email.
The sin of lashon hara is considered to be a very serious sin in the Jewish tradition."

Jesus says that it is not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, it is what comes out.  So for however much breaking the word of wisdom is supposed to defile you, what you say will defile you.

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7:19-23

In Lashon Hara the intention may not be to inflict harm, but like a drunk driver heading home in his car instead of a cab by acting recklessly great harm will come to be.  

Jesus is also saying that out of a good heart comes good but out of a evil heart comes evil.

It's a "by their fruits shall ye know them" sort of idea.  If you notice a friend always has something negative to say about others you can be sure when you're not around they're talking about you in the same way.

This is why this sin in-particular is compared to leprosy.  And also because Moses's sister was struck with leprosy for a few days because she murmured against him.

But this is a contagious sin because upon hearing you to one level or another engage in it.  You can decide to do the right thing and confront the principal lashon hara sinner, but you have been exposed.

This too is a disease of numbness, being that you become numbed to the weight of the words you say or to the sting the deep cuts of the words.  You become a spiritual leper and not only is your soul numb but it becomes disfigured by the sin.

You can build people up by your words alone or you can tear them down.

We've all been on he recieving end of lashon hara or hozaat shem ra so we all know the hurt and devistation words, true or not, can cause.

But how many of us have been raised up and built up by words?

In these current winter Olympics in Sochi there was a figure skater from the U.S. landed on his side and nearly broke his hip yet as he laid on the ice wondering if he would or could continue the Russian audience cheered him on and on as he slowly picked himself up off the ice and they continued to cheer and cheer as he finished his routine and by the time he was finished the audience was on their feet giving him a standing ovation for simply continuing after sustaining such an injury.  His name was Jeremy Abbott.

And cliche as it may sound here Dr.King and Gandhi built up the self esteem of their oppressed people and an oppressed nation in Gandhi's case.  With every speech telling them how valuable they are, how they were made to persevere and these words allowed these men and women from two different countries and continents to take beating after beating and false arrest and the kangaroo courts that followed only to sing in their jail cells knowing they had won.  And their jailers knew they had lost.

So while it is true that there are names for sins of speech and yet no real names or titles for speech that build people up the point stands that one can do one of two things; either build people up or tear them down.

Many of Gandhi's actions have been forgotten but his words remain in the memory of so many building up generation after generation of people, without Gandhi we would not have Dr.King whose words also have built up generation after generation.

But Jesus who never held a public office, was never ruler or magistrate over any land, who never wrote a book or play, still spoke to people in such a way that he changed the history of the world and almost single-handedly.

The words of Jesus, the words of God, those words build up and inspire people.  Those words cause people to turn over a new leaf and "Go and sin no more."  Those words turn sinners into saints.

Those words as ancient as they may be still have the power to save even the most wayward of the flock.  I know because those words have saved me.

The Keystone of Christ's Teachings

Jesus asks much of us.  He asks us to follow Him.  This doesn't mean simply obey but to mirror His life and His teachings.  There are several things we must do, one could write a book and still not do it justice.  Jesus compares lust to adultery and hate to murder, He has some very high standards. So I'll hit on a few key points and see what ground I can cover, so let's start with scripture.

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
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;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.


Jesus is saying a lot of things here.  First he is telling us to allow one strike to the face and then turn the other cheek and allow a second more insulting strike because the second will be a back handed one. 

Then he says if someone takes the shirt off your back give them your coat, which in His time was used as a blanket or even pillow to sleep with and hence much more valuable.  Today that would be like saying if someone wants your bike also give them your car.  Jesus also says you should go the extra mile when someone forces you to walk with them, this happened a lot under Roman rule, soldiers would make Jews carry their gear, and so Jesus is saying you should not only do what they ask but respond with kindness and generosity to your enemies.

Jesus is also saying that even publicans or tax collectors love their friends and hate their enemies but we as disciples should love our enemies and pray for those who curse us.  Jesus is telling us to respond with kindness and love in the face of hate and opposition.  This is what Gandhi and Dr.Martin Luther King proclaimed as well.  Dr.King taught his followers to take the beatings the police and others dished out and to respond in kindness not in kind.  And then his followers would sing in jail because they knew they were winning and they found that though they were beaten they were still alive.  Rome can't kill them all, and the American system couldn't either.

Jesus teaches that if you hold a grudge against anyone you must make amends with them before God will accept your sacrificial offerings.

When Jesus says do not resist evil the Greek word used always refers to violence so He is not saying be passive He is saying do not resort to violence to fight evil.  Evil begets evil and violence begets violence.

Love sooner or later begets love.  It's like Dr.King said "Darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can do that.  And hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

This is what Jesus is trying to tell us, that only by extending love, by extending generosity can we hope to defeat evil.  When Jesus says "By their fruits shall ye know them"  He gives us the example that good trees bear good fruits and bad trees bear bad fruit and only by their actions will it be apparent whether or not you have truly accepted Christ's teachings.  Good can never come of evil and evil can never result from good.  But appearances can be deceiving and so I'm sure some may argue but I prefer not to disagree with Christ, I'm not about to lose a bet with God.

Service, giving, is the keystone of Christ's teachings.  It completes the picture.  By being truly selfless one can affect great change and do great and wonderful things.

Unconditional love is the cornerstone of Christ's teachings and to act on that in service of others is something Christ consistently did throughout His life and ministry.

His last act, before the crucifixion which was borne out of love was to, as a servant would, wash the feet of His disciples and then instruct them to do the same, to serve one another as He served them.

Likewise if we claim to be not just fans but disciples of Christ we must serve in the same capacity as Christ did.

But to truly do this as Christ did we must want to serve not just be willing to or worse do so begrudgingly.

In fact Krishna, in the Bagavad Gita, says that there are three types of charity: passion, ignorance and goodness.  

"But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion."  Bagavad Gita Chapter 17:21

The definition of charity which is borne of goodness is "That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness." Bagavad Gita 17:20

Krishna stipulates that the receiver must be worthy.  But to Christ we are all worthy because we are all equal in that we all fall short of the glory of God.

Did you know that Jesus never met a prostitute or murderer or thief? He only met children of God, some who struggled but all He met struggled in some shape or form, none but He were perfected.

So it is a tall order, an immense task to truly live up to being a disciple of Christ.  But it was never supposed to be easy, it is only supposed to be worth it.

And it is not only worth it for you but for those you serve and for those you help and for those whom you love back to the path of Christ.

You can only point them to the light, they must find their way but you may help them through the darkness.

Freedom And Slavery

1 And I, the aLord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That bSatan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the cbeginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will dredeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely eI will do it; wherefore fgive me thine honor.2 But, behold, my Beloved aSon, which was my Beloved and bChosen from the beginning, said unto me—cFather, thy dwill be done, and the eglory be thine forever.3 Wherefore, because that aSatan brebelled against me, and sought to destroy the cagency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be dcast down;4 And he became aSatan, yea, even the bdevil, the father of all clies, to ddeceive and to blind men, and to lead them ecaptive at his will, even as many as would not fhearken unto my voice. (Moses 4:1-4)
A slave has no free will, a slave obeys but a master chooses.
You can be a slave to addiction, you can be a slave to any sin under the sun but you can also be a slave to your leaders political or clergy.  If you obey rather than choose what virtue is there in that?  There is none.
Not only is there no virtue in abdicating your agency there is no accomplishment in it because it's not your life your living, your letting others live your life for you.
Let's do a thought experiment: Imagine we're out in the wilderness and walking hand in hand and only the leader can see, the rest have blindfolds on.  They only follow.  Then the leader lets go and the chain of followers stumbles around looking for the leader who can see.  After stumbling around for some time the leader instructs the group to stop and take off their blindfolds and asks a couple questions.  Why did you keep walking?
One person says they were trying to find their leader.
But the leader asks "Why didn't you take off your blindfold?"
"You said not to."
"But you could have used your agency and chosen to take it off.  You could have taken it off so you could find your way and choose what's right for you not what's right for everyone else."
We don't have to follow Christ, we have to choose to follow Christ.
Satan however intends to take away our agency and if he can't convert you to his path, he'll keep you busy with something to neutralize you.
So when Utah state legislators legally enforce the word of wisdom to whatever extent they can having people who have never broken it over see and be in charge of alcohol laws and distribution or severely limit the number of state liquor stores and liquor licenses.
The Church makes promotional videos linking mastrubation to a wounded soldier on the battlefield and said soldier needs a friend to help pull him off the field and save him but you cannot save any one from sin or pull anyone into the light, everyone must save themselves or stray by themselves because we all have a coice and it is ours no one elses.  No one is responsible for our choices but us.
And trying as the Church or state legislators do to take away the agency of others to sin is a sin on par with the one Satan committed when he tried to enforce it in the Moses 4 quote at the beginning of this article.  Because in the end you only add hoops for people to jump through to sin, you don't stop them but by trying to take away their agency you commit the sin of Satan by trying by force to bring everyone back into Gods presence.  That is the way of Satan but free agency is the way of Christ.  Freedom is given to us by Christ and slavery, being forced to "do the right thing" is the way of Satan.
By all means try to lead, to inspire but do not coerce or force others into doing anything even the "right thing."  If someone submits to force, if someone gives up and obeys blindly there is no virtue in such actions.
Virtue requires free agency, it requires freedom to do wrong yet still willingly and freely choosing the righteous path.
Take off your blindfold or you'll never find your way or your happiness.

Spiritual Warfare

Masturbation.  A spiritual sin; nay, spiritual warfare to our religious elite who cannot access the gifts of the flesh without viagra.

But it can serve a purpose.  Namely if your spouses sex drive is slower than your own it can be an outlet so as not to over tax your spouse.  If however, you are doing it in lieu of being intimate with your spouse then there is a problem.

And it is a good way for singles to have an outlet that helps them stay chaste instead of say driving to Las Vegas to get married so you can legally have sex before divorcing and driving back to BYU, ya know, for example?

Addictive?  No more so than sex of any other kind. Or any other thing in life for that matter.

What I see as far more damaging is the stigma, the judgmental attitudes, the slut shaming and ostracizing of those who do it.

This is something Boyd K Packer has had a specific hand in concerning the issue of slut shaming young men and guilting them into submission.

In times past masturbation was considered a sin because onanism as it was called was essentially spilling the seed without the possibility of having children, now I can think of dozens of sexual activities that would render children an impossibility but are considered ok between a husband and wife.

And now we know unlike ancient man and even unknown to the world into the early 20th century that men produce semen throughout their entire lives so there is no need to cry over spilt semen.

And what of couples who can't conceive due to medical reasons or even age?  Are they sinning against God?

Heaven forbid people enjoy themselves!  Lord have mercy!!

Just because something can be sinful doesn't make it inherently sinful by nature, there is a marked difference between use and abuse.

This McCarthyistic campaign against those who self gratify is nothing more that a puritanical inquisition period.

This campaign is doing more harm that good.

Slut shaming, guilting people into confessing their every sexual deviation when it is biologically proven to be both healthy and normal.  Confessing your sex life to a non-trained lay clergy member who due to lack of professional knowledge and training is sure to botch every members relationship not just with the lay clergy but with the church as a whole and especially their value of self worth and their own image of their sexual normalcy.

According to doctors masturbation can be both healthy and normal.

It is McCarthyisitc inquisitional tests and meetings to determine the "purity" of members that strikes me as tyrannical to the extreme. 

A really smart idea would be to stop shaming people for things that are normal, healthy and a safe alternative to std's and unwanted pregnancy.

But our leaders guilt and shame things that are normal because guilt is a means of control and if they were to guilt peole over something abnormal they would then only have control over a small slice of the membership but hey if they guilt people over something 95% of men and 89% of women do then they are able to effectively guilt the flock into repetitious repentance.  Guilt is a means of control.  And if we allow others to guilt us then we give them control over our actions.

The Lord will not punish you for things that are normal and healthy.  But moderation is key to health and longevity in concerning everything.

When you realize that according to webMD 95% of men and 89% of women do it and there are plenty of scientifically and psychologically validated reasons why people do this then the onus is on the church to tell us why it is always so sinister regardless of context.

Much like the Word of Wisdom, beer and wine has proven health benefits, the Lord will not punish you for something that is healthy and at times necessar

True morality is doing what you know in your heart to be right and obedience is doing what your are told regardless of what is right.

When it comes to sexual advice; trust a psychiatrist, a psychologist or a counselor or therapist. In other words trust a professional.

This is spiritual warfare but it is about guilting the masses into submission, it's about making people feel the need to be cleansed and then cleansing people of the guilt they inflicted in the first place.


Healthy and normal is not sinful, not inherently anyway

Why We Shout In Anger

A Hindu sage walked with his disciples to the shores of the Ganges where he saw a family shouting in anger at each other.

The sage turned to his disciples, smiled and asked "Why do we shout in anger?"

The disciples thought for a moment and one answered "When we lose our calm we shout."

The sage then asked "But why should we shout when we are so close to each other and could just as easily speak at a normal volume and still be heard?"

The disciples kept trying to adequately answer their master but none succeeded.

Then the sage answered them saying "When people are angry with one another their hearts are at a great distance so they must should to hear and be heard.  But when two people are in love they whisper or speak calmly because the distance between their hearts is small or non-existent."

In love, people are never closer but in anger or contempt they are never more distant.

Hate, is has been said, is like swallowing poison and expecting the person you hate to die.  Or it is like throwing hot coals from a fire at your opponent, in that you are the only one who is burned.

Jesus had a melt down in the temple.

But Him getting angry over the Temple being defiled is not the same justification for what makes most of us angry most of the time.  I think for most people they are never angrier than when they feel their anger is justified.

Because they feel righteous indignation, they wont listen to others pleas to calm down and listen.  No they want to be heard without listening.

Anger, along with a myriad of other emotions is perfectly natural but there needs to be a balance.  If you want to be heard, try listening not just waiting for your turn to speak.

Life is a balance of letting go and hanging on.

We must let go of the negative and hold on to the positive.  The unhealthiest of people and relationships hold on to the negative and negate the positive.

In a fight couples who show humor, express affection and concede points their partner makes, heal the rift between one another but couples who show contempt, roll their eyes, act defensively and tune out are making things worse because these unhealthy tactics lead to a toxic relationship.

This is true for any relationship father/son, husband/wife, friend and best friend all relationships.

Take the time to listen to those you are angry with, hear them and they will likely hear you. Remember that anger is a secondary emotion meaning that it is a reaction you have to a primary emotion that was initially triggered for whatever reason.

It's up to you to search your feelings for what the reason you became angry was, to find what that primary emotion than started it really was.

Rather than yelling or shouting to make your point across the distance between your heart and another, listen and concede and do what you can, worry only about what you can control and handle that.  Try to close the distance between hearts. 

Anger happens, but closure and healing is crucial to have so that the toxicity of anger does not take over.

Being a Fan or Being a Disciple

The story goes that a new pastor arrived at the church he was asked to lead early and dressed as a homeless man.  Of the thousands of church goers only 3 said "Hi" and the rest either ignored him or glared at him.  He asked for money for food and was denied by all he asked.  Then he quietly sat in the very back and when the church staff who were in one this announced the new pastor, the new pastor stood up and slowly walked to the front as a hush fell over the congregation. 

Then the pastor grabbed the mic and quoted scripture: "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 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."


Some were so grieved for what they had done they wept, most were shocked.

Again as the story goes anyway but a Mormon bishop did do a similar thing and found similar reactions to him by those who knew him but didn't recognize him through his professionally done make up job.

But this action amongst other scenarios does separate the fans of Christ from the disciples of Christ.  The people who denied the new pastor money for food or who glared in judgment at him yet sit and worship Christ whilst judging their fellow church members, who worship a homeless man on Sunday and disparage the homeless the other 6 days of the week, those who deny help to those in need, those who mock others for various differences or who deny forgiveness and hold a grudge are going against the teachings of Christ yet professing their discipleship.  Christ denies them in Matthew 7.


16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:16-23)

He that does the will of God will enter into Heaven, this is what Jesus means when He says "He who has ears to hear let him hear." is that he who believes in Jesus and His teachings will actually carry them out, that's what a disciple does.  A worker of iniquity will do as they please and offer up lip service prayers or worship leaders or other men and ignore the teachings of Christ all together caring more about the opinions of men mingled with scripture.  But by their fruits, their works and their teachings you will know them.

A good person does not do heinous things or teach evil or destructive teachings likewise a bad person does not perform good works for good reasons or offer up good teachings.

You cannot do the opposite of what Christ teaches and honestly claim discipleship.  You cannot offer up lip service prayers and claim to be sincere when you offer no sincerity.

Those members of the pastors church who ignored him or glared at him, who denied him money for food yet claim to be Christians are not.  They are fans of Christ not disciples.

True disciples will help the poor, will help the sick and elderly, will serve others out of kindness not out of seeking reward or avoiding punishment.  they will do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

They will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick or the prisoner, they will give drink to the thirsty.  They will do the right thing, they will bear the unmistakable good fruits a true Christian does.

The two commandments Jesus says are the greatest out of the 613 of Mosaic law: "36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  Matthew 22:36-40

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets says Jesus. Love God and Love your sister and brother, even your enemies as you love yourself.  This is the fulfillment of the law, the commandments.

And Jesus gave us one more commandment: "34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

True Christians, true disciples hold to this commandment.  It is a simple yet elegant solution to the ills of the world.