My Answer

I've been thinking a lot about the turmoil that has followed the election. I've spoken to friends and others, some who are overjoyed and some who are deeply dismayed, and I've felt distressed by the divide. I have not felt either extreme. I'm very intrigued by the positive disruption that Trump may provide and also concerned about some of his proposals, but I don't feel fear or anger or joy. Maybe that's because I picked "none of the above" when the time came to vote. As I wrote the other day, I had accepted that either Trump or Clinton would win, with me supporting neither.

While in Church today, I read these words shared by a former leader of my Church, President Howard Hunter. He related a well-known story from the life of Jesus:

On one occasion while Jesus was teaching the people, a certain lawyer approached him and posed this question: “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus, the master teacher, replied to the man, who obviously was well-versed in the law, with a counter-question, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” 

The man replied with resolute summary the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

With approval Christ responded, “This do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:25–28).

I recognize that the fortunate circumstances of my life have provided me with many advantages and freed me from many worries. But that truth does not limit the truth of Christ's words to that lawyer (and all of us). My duty and honor is to love God, and to love my fellow man and woman. This leaves no room for hate or anger. To love is an activity that does not permit such emotional multitasking.

So that's my personal answer to this mess, and the standard against which I will judge my actions.

A Sure Foundation

As a reminder, I set a goal some time ago to enhance my spirituality. For me this meant sharing some of my personal religious convictions. This post is about integrity.

As a Christian, Christ is my exemplar. A prophet from the Book of Mormon, Helaman, wanted for his sons to do the same. He had given them the names of great men, Lehi and Nephi, who were themselves great followers of Christ. He taught them the following:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

 (Helaman 5:12)

This idea of Christ as the sure foundation is important. In this life, we have become accustomed to those, often those in positions of great responsibility, who lack integrity. Whether it is the politician, the evangelist, the athlete or celebrity, we seize on people we admire, who we want to rely on. Time and again we are disappointed. This is because these individuals, sometimes good and worthy in many ways, are not capable of being the sure foundation that Jesus Christ is. He is an example of perfect integrity and reliability.

In a discussion with our congregation's youth last night, we talked about integrity. I recounted the story of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which famously collapsed in 1940. I drew the comparison between this bridge's failure in 40 mph winds with its lack of structural integrity, to the idea of each of us trying to be sure and steadfast and reliable. We would like for something as important as a bridge to be strong and totally trustworthy, like the Savior. We can't equal him, but we can do our best to personify his integrity. In the same way that we build the best, most resilient bridges, we can build integrity in ourselves.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a notable example of man's design failing to meet the demands of the day. Are we ready to meet the demands of each day? What do we face that may cause us to fall? What is the "mighty wind, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind," that the adversary tries to send to us? When they come, what will we be built on?

I am trying to build my foundation on the Savior, his life, his teachings, and most importantly his atoning sacrifice for sin. It was made possible through his perfect integrity. I am grateful to have learned of it at a young age, and grateful to those whose examples of integrity helped establish my own resolve to seek it for myself.

To Remember

In a few of my Church meetings today, a similar theme came up- the importance of remembering. The old saying, "He who does not remember history is doomed to repeat it" applies to our spiritual lives as much as anything else. This is one reason why I feel it is important to regularly read the scriptures and attend weekly Church meetings. I need these reminders, especially since my tendency is to rely too heavily on my own abilities (the arm of flesh).

In the Book of Mormon, the people are often urged to remember the capitivity of their ancestors, and the great things that God did to liberate them from captivity. Here are some examples:

Alma teaches his son Helaman about how the example of the Israelites has blessed him with faith during difficult times:

29 Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity. (Alma 36:29)

The young men who fought with Helaman to defend their families' liberty were strengthened by the faith and testimony of their mothers, which they remembered in the face of danger:

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

(Alma 56:47-48)

The prophet Moroni explains that anyone evaluating the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as the word of God needs to act similarly:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. (Moroni 10:3)

Hopefully each of us can consider the things that bear remembering, and give proper weight and importance to them in our daily lives.