Thanksgiving

Wow. It has been a long time since I last blogged. Life has kept me busy. It is now raining steadily, as Oregon winter weather demands. But I hear snow is on the horizon.

Small Miracles

So, this past weekend, I flew to Montana to pick up my stuff and flew back. I say 'flew' because it was a very fast trip. Wednesday night, my dad and I made it to the Tricities. The next day, at 5am, we took off to Missoula. We got in at about 10:30a.m., picked up the U-Haul at 11, and finished packing by 2:30pm. Then, by 3pm, we turned around and headed back to the Tricities, pulling in at about 9pm. Like I said, fast trip.

Now, for the miracles. There is no way we should have been able to pack in such a short amount of time. I had enough stuff to fill a 2 bedroom apartment and it was just my dad and I. But Heavenly Father gave us the strength and we did it. Second, do you know how much stuff I have? Yet it all fit in to the 14 foot truck with maybe an inch only to spare. The weather was looking pretty bad, but after our prayers, the rain held off until just after we finished. Turns out, a friend told me it snowed the next day. If we had waited, we'd have had a hard time driving safely.

I love how the Lord cares about the things we do in life. Not just massive, life changing moments, but little things that would make life a bit harder or easier for you. I remember shortly after my mission that I came home and tried a single's ward in Oregon. It was fast and testimony meeting and the Bishop got up and said that the Lord doesn't care about your wants. He only takes care of your needs. It felt really wrong to me then b/c, throughout my life and especially on my mission, I saw the Lord grant many tender little mercies that were not 'needed' but certainly made a difference. I still hold to that. The Lord has granted me a sunny day on my birthday when I prayed for it and He notices when a sparrow falls. Miracles happen in big and small ways, in the big picture and in the tiny details. Maybe you just have to know how to see His hand in everything. Like Alma, I have all things as a witness. And now, I have one more to add to the list.

Charlie Brown

So, as you may or may not recall, last year there was a shortage on waffles, which I blogged about in 'wailing for waffles'. This year, the shortage is...wait for it...

Pumpkin. As in, pumpkin pie, pumpkin. That's right. There are only a few (read, I think, 2) pumpkin factories in America. As I understand it, one was shut down and something happened to the other. Or maybe it was the crops. There is no Libby can of pumpkin at the local Fred Meyers. Or Wal Mart.

I feel like we have entered the Depression shortage years, the beginning of the Communist bread lines. First no waffles, now no pumpkin. It starts out small, what you eat in the morning. Then it moves to a national holiday. Next, it will be toothpaste and insulin.

Is there no way to fix this? Aren't there literally hundreds of thousands of people without jobs in America? Don't tell me there isn't a demand for it. This is PUMPKIN we are talking about. It's been in demand since food in America was. They ate pumpkin in Plymouth people. (Yes, I liked the alliteration too.) I have horrifying visions of mothers with 5 kids and little old ladies shoving each other for the last can so they can make cookies and breads and pie. I worry for the state of the Union.

The pumpkin we tried to grow never made it due to a late summer, an early fall, and some vampire squirrel that left incisor marks. (Think Bunnicula. Great children's series, by the way.)

Now, I'm not saying that no pumpkin will ruin the country. But I do think it's telling. And when you sit around with your family this fall and there's no pumpkin pie (presuming the issue isn't resolved), I think you'll notice. It's like that Kenny Rogers' song "we even lost Superman". Something in America has been floundering a long, long time. But it's taken some pretty hard knocks to get the majority of people ready to get out of the house and do something about it. A pumpkin shortage isn't the first indicator, nor will it be the last. But it is an indicator.

Once again, it's essential that we know our leaders, understand history and economics, and be willing to fight to keep integrity and the founding principles. It's not just big things, like freedom of religion and speech (though those are, without question, essential to liberty), it's the little things too...things that are a part of our national identity and creation. Removing that one piece of pie seems a bit more significant.

Let's hope, like Linus, that we see The Great Pumpkin this year.

Montana

Well, gang, the time has come to finally bite the bullet and move all my stuff from MT. I held it there because 1) it was cheaper than a storage unit 2 states away and 2) there was the possibility I would come back. Now the second is still true, but if that happens in the future, hopefully it won't happen within a few months so I wasted the $600 it'll cost. In the meantime, I get to head out on a roadtrip with my dad. He's awesome like that. Every time I've needed stuff moved or, say, driven to a middle-of-nowhere state to see if there's a job available, he's come with me. And that means a lot. I love getting to have some one-on-one time with him and talk about philosophy, religion, and life in general in a way that we never get to do when we're busy with school, jobs, families, jobs, church, jobs, house painting, jobs...you get the idea.

I also love that I am going to be in MT (albeit for the briefest span of two days) in the fall. Fall is already my favorite time of year in the Rockies b/c of the changing leaves and the crisp morning air and all the good social events that occur (from fall harvest, to corn mazes, to bonne bouche, to pumpkin carving). I love Oregon for the green, but I do miss those blazes of color you find up in Missoula's Rattlesnake. Maybe some day I'll take a vacation that doesn't involve moving or looking for a job and just really enjoy the town, events, and mountains like I used to.

Wedding

Apparently, I skipped the entire month of August this year. Crazy. And September will fly by as well. This weekend I have a wedding to attend. Congratulations to the couple in love! After that, I head off to MT to pick up my stuff I've had stored there for over a year and make the official close on Montana. Within two weeks I will have seen a beginning and an ending. And have lots of car time to think about a lot of things.

Cape Disappointment Part 2

It's been a few weeks since I wrote last. And in that time, I finally took the plunge and decided to go see Cape Disappointment. Early one Saturday morning, I got up, packed some snacks, borrowed my sister's small backpack, and took off into the unknown. Driving down Oregon's highway 30 to the coast, I passed narrow, winding roads, nestled in between forests. About halfway there, I drove into a bit of mist and fog. That, coupled with the dense forests and dark pine, I felt like I was truly escaping my world and traveling into a world known only to Lewis and Clark.

The drive was about two hours, but it was worth it for the view. I must say, I am not a fan of the incredibly long bridge in Astoria which spans the Columbia River's mouth and seems like you are really driving across water (minus the faith to keep you up in the storm).

On the other side, it is not far to Ilwaco, WA and that is a town I must explore another day. A combination of cute beach and state park town, it has the feel of people who live where most of us only vacation. The winters might be cold and gray, but what a way to go.

When I got to the park, I had most of it to myself. Those who camp there were located in another area and the Interpretive Center hadn't opened up yet. So, I took off to see the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. On my way up and down forest trails, I saw a fluffy brown bunny (who would show up randomly throughout my day in other parts of the park--either he is really fast, or he has a lot of siblings), hundreds of beautiful birds, and scenery I wished I could stay forever for. The lighthouse on this side isn't open to the public (that's the one on the other side of the Cape) but you do have a small beach cove that, had I not been alone, I would have climbed down for and spent some serious time. At one point, I climbed up a seated platform area and watched the waves crash on rocks where seagulls and cormorants landed and took off from, waves swirl around underwater caves, and always the cries of the gulls and the sound of the surf. I have always loved that sound. Here, there was nothing to block that. I spent quite awhile just sitting, listening.

After that, it was off to the Interpretive Center where, prior to its opening, you can hear Native flute music playing on the wind. Look quick enough, and you'll find the guy who plays around the abandoned fort section. He ducks out of sight, so you'll have to be sneaky. It took me a few minutes to realize it was not music piped in over hidden loudspeakers. I was both amused and perplexed, but mostly amused. The Center itself costs $5.00 and is worth visiting once for the history, the bathrooms, and the tourist trap charging you a ridiculous amount for postcards and all things a state park will try to sell you. (Giant stuffed crap anyone? I got one. My border collie loved ripping it's eyes out. It is still fun to play with.)

Next I checked out the other lighthouse. Very windy stairs. Do not go up if you are prone to dizziness or motion sickness. Even I felt a little lightheaded by the top. And of course, don't forget to skip the flip-flops if you want in. But spectacular views. If only the tour guide stopped talking and removed that little rope that prevents you from going outside.

I ended my park trip by driving to Dead Man's Cove (Which is no longer really a cove, nor is there a dead man--at least as far as I could tell. This seems like false advertising and I am still tempted to write a letter but, Oregon being in a budget crisis like every other state, I decided to forego it. They'll never get around to answering me anyway. Bureaucrats.) But if you want to hike a very long trail that I am told does actually lead to a beach somewhere or just stand on the bridge, listening to a lot of new bird songs and see hummngbirds and a 1 inch long yellow bird zip around while munching on reeses pieces, I recommend it as well.

Driving home I stopped by a Lavender Garden. I must say that I thought it had some of the most picturesque areas of any garden I've been in (outside of my family's, of course). And I thought the chickens and rooster worthy of a prize. The turkey was fun too, though I felt sad for the little quails. I wanted to let them all go. Then I wanted to chase them. I swear, I'm half four-legged deep down. You can rent out the guest house and there is even an outdoor tub. If you don't connect that with the telescope up in the treehouse about 50 yards away, you'll probably have a great time. Artists are always welcome and they have an annual tea party. An overpriced gift shop will sell you tea sets for $40.00 or slightly crumbly, dried fudge, which I passed on. Go for pictures, not for fudge, but DO leave a donation. The efforts of this couple for the past 30 years is well worth a few dollars out of your pocket. And you get free samples of mint, plus the overwhelming urge to take a nap on the grass as the lavender wafts through the air and caresses you into sleepy acceptance. You just might find yourself nodding to fudge or, like myself, almost taking a sample spoon out of the discard jar instead of where they are cleverly hidden inside a covered sugar. Whoops!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. The ride home was in sunshine and good tunes. It was very worthwhile and I can't wait to go again.

Cape Disappointment

This weekend, my sister and I, along with a friend, and friends of the friend, were going to hike Cape Disappointment and see the lighthouse. But, alas, northwest weather being what it is, it didn't happen. The website warned that the trails get "mucky" when it rains. I always find that when the actual website warns about unpleasant hiking conditions, you should probably listen.

So that was disappointing.

Know what else is disappointing? When people lie to you. Case in point: raisinets.

My love affair with these chocolatey-covered pieces of fruit began as a fifth-grader, selling easter candy. Mint meltaways were good. Chocolate covered raisins were better. Then I grew up and realized that there was a company that made them year round. Oh the joy! Each bite in my mouth was, as they say, "chocolate covered sunshine."

Except it wasn't. Somewhere along the way, it began to rain. They're not sunshine, they're actually chocolate covered shadows. A deep, dark secret that someone doesn't want to get out. And now I'll tell you why. Let's grab a package and read the label. Let's take a dark chocolate raisinet package (though this is also true for milk chocolate, trust me). On the back it says "Dark Chocolate Raisinets contain raisins made from lush green grapes."

Stop right there. No need to look further into antioxidant claims or how these sugary bites help maintain good health. The lie has already been told in those first few words. Green grapes.

Have you ever seen what a green grape looks like when dried out? Golden raisin. That's why they say chocolate covered sunshine. B/c the raisins are golden. Here's where it gets really sad and the rain starts pouring down on us. They aren't. They're regular red or purple grapes. Which make the typical browny-black raisin we know as Sunmaid (sidenote: my roommate had a Sunmaid halloween costume once, pretty darn clever if you ask me). How do I know this? Well, chocolate comes off. Go buy a bag. Lick, cut, and/or bite off the chocolate on these babies. You'll see what I mean. Not a golden raisin to be found anywhere. I once went through half a bag that way just to see if I was right.

I was, of course. Three years later I buy them again and have my sister independently test my theory. Still true. Still no golden raisins.

Do you realize the depth of depravity to which this country has sunk when you can't even trust a label to tell you the truth about a raisin? A RAISIN????

Maybe they don't have a catchy slogan or commercial for the truth. Maybe it's time we, the forces of good, help them out. So here's my challenge to all of you: come up with a catchy slogan and/or commercial for raisinets. Make sure to point out the fact that they are, in fact, not made from green grapes. Send it to me and I will post the slogans and/or videos on my blog. Then, the best one, will be credited and sent to Raisinet, along with a letter and evidence of their deception. (Yes, I will actually take a bag of raisinets, lick off the chocolate, and send every single one of those licked on raisins to corporate. That's what you get for lying to the public. Chocolate licked off raisins. That'll teach you.) Hopefully, we'll help turn this country's dishonesty around. One raisinet at a time.

Look for the Best

Yesterday I had a training at the state Capital. The one thing I really took out of that entire 8 day training (and 3 hours in the car) was the 'bonus' video they played the last 20 minutes of the class. It was about a photographer for National Geographic named DeWitt.

The entire film was about remembering and finding what is good and right in the world. Be the best, not IN the world, but FOR the world. He pointed out that no matter where he went in the world, if he was prepared to find a beautiful landscape to photograph, he did. And if he was prepared to photograph interesting and wonderful people, he did. So often we look for and focus upon what is wrong with the world, the scam, the liar, the environmental disaster. As he pointed out, first look at what is right. That will give you the inspiration and energy to then fix what is wrong.

In my line of work people come to me in the low moments. No one comes because they are doing well and happy to see me. This is a tough thing they are going through and I am not someone they ever wanted to deal with. Yet here we are, sitting across from one another. And sometimes dealing with that day after day you forget to look up, breathe deeply, and remember that there are still so many beautiful right things happening out there. So many wonderful stories of people and families pulling together and dreams coming true.

It was nice to be reminded. And yes, it really did fill me with a sense of happiness and energy to come back and keep going. I hope you find what is right in the world today.

Word of the Day

And the word of the day is not...shredder. Have you ever said something only to have it blow up in disaster? And you didn't even realize at the time it would be offensive? Me neither. But for the rest of the world, let's take a, purely, hypothetical situation.

Let's take someone, let's call her Baleea, just for kicks. And let's say that she's talking with someone elderly and asking for certain documentation. What the hey, let's say a will. And let's pretend, since this is all just pretend, that she tells Baleea that she gave a copy of the will to the office already. And let's say that she gave that copy to the office in 1982.

Here's where it gets interesting. Baleea points out that it is unlikely the office has a copy of a document given almost 30 years ago. Most likely it has been shredded.

This is where Peewee's Playhouse Word of the Day works in reverse. Instead of people screaming, jumping up and down, and laughing, imagine someone inhaling in shock, tearing up. You have unwittingly reminded them that they are human, fragile, mortal. That they have survived lung cancer but their will (or at least the office copy) has not.

Imagine the tricky dance steps Baleea now has to do, sans music, to soothe a very hurt individual while still pointing out the slim chance (but yes!!! there IS a chance) that this document somehow has survived 30 years and over 10,000 other client files. There may, in fact, be some large warehouse that the government has been paying rent on, calmly maintaining every document ever received throughout the life of an individual. Think Area 51 for paperwork. It's possible.

The good news is, this hypothetical story ends well. With Baleea apologizing and smoothing things over and a happy client leaving Baleea with a hug and a promise that she will, in fact, send another copy (since she's had the original will since the 1980's), and not to have Baleea try and hunt down a document that went into government vaults 30 years ago since that would be a misuse of time and resources.

The moral of this made-up tale? Think before you speak. And then, think again. Sometimes an off-the-cuff comment can remind someone of personal tragedy. Though you may not have meant to, you still hurt someone. Apologize and show a bit more humanity in the future.

Break Up

Recently, I was reminded by someone of how much I used to like the movie Labrynth, with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. And I had to laugh a bit, because, yeah, I did like that movie. I had a crush on King Jareth, The Goblin King. Keep in mind, I was just a kid. He was cool because he had magical powers and he gave Sarah a pretty dress and he could have turned out to be a good guy and made the Labrynth a beautiful place to live. As a child, it never occurred to me that he wouldn't. Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to. He had made significant choices in his life as to the nature of his character. He was never going to be the good guy my innocent mind believed he could be, if only he loved someone enough. Which, of course, would have been me. Uh-huh. Flash forward to my adult nature and I cringe just a bit. Not only for the fact that I so obviously misread human nature, but because I crushed on a guy who wore more makeup than I did (even in my college days) and would probably have wanted to date all the same guys I did.

Despite liking Jareth as a kid, I still loved the scene where Sarah realizes that she has done her best to fight through whatever obstacles have come, that he is NOT there to help her as he claims, that she does, in fact, have power over him and that she chooses to exercise her own personal power to drop kick him to the curb and get her baby brother back. It is a great moment. Properly amped up by synthesizers and 1980's special effects. Nice touch.

Have you ever needed to let go of someone or something like that? Maybe it's a person or even a habit. Maybe you thought it was a good thing once. Or, like me as a naive kid, that you could control the way this person or this habit manifested itself. Only, you can't. Because people and characteristics have a nature. Truth can't be a lie and a lie can't be truth. A friend of mine recently got engaged. And I am very happy for this person. And it got me thinking of how it could have gone the other way. Think of what happens when you try to keep a relationship in limbo for too long. It goes against the natural progression of a relationship to either continue to blossom and develop or end. Just hanging out for eternity in date mode is like all those people who could never get out of the labrynth. Think Garbage City.

Yet that made me think even more about the habits and character traits we hold onto, almost like someone we are dating. Some of them are love-hate relationships. Some of them are just quirky. And some are downright toxic. Would you keep a toxic boyfriend? Someone who you thought made you wonderful and happy but, as the relationshp continued, became more and more controlling and abusive. Someone who tried to change you, to destroy you. I'm talking really toxic here, not just someone who wants you to floss your teeth. Would you stay? Only if you had let this person destroy enough of your belief in yourself to think you didn't have the strength to leave or didn't deserve better. Bad habits, sins, are like that too. Why? Because there's a guy out there, we'll call him Uncle Louie, who wants to control you. Who wants to say, a lot like King Jareth did, "just love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave".

Catch the illogic of that? And yet we fall for it over and over again. Since the beginning of the history of man. You can't submit yourself to a vice and expect it to submit to you. So what should do? Break up. Quite literally if that will help you. Imagine the vice as a person. Imagine the vice the way someone who was truly that vice would actually look. Not the way you want the vice to look so you can pretend it's not really that bad. It is that bad. Remember? This is Mr. Toxic. Now, be Sarah. You are strong enough. You have fought your way through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. You have fought your way beyond the Goblin City to take back the virtue He has stolen. Your will is a strong as His and your kingdom as great. He has no power over you.

Remember that. The light is always stronger than the darkness. Sarah was always more powerful than King Jareth. She just had to believe it and do it.

Good Triumphs

You know those moments in life where all of goodness is reaffirmed? The moment something really good happens to a really good person and you feel nothing but total happiness? This weekend was one of those moments.

Time for Love?

Aside from coming up with a cool name and costume, dating seems to be another difficulty for superheroes. I mean, aside from being your coworker or your archnemesis, where do you actually find that 'nice boy' your mother always hoped you'd find. Somehow, I just can't picture Superman at a single's bar. (Aside from the fact that he is America's Boy Scout and would never drink.) Can you imagine Batman posting an ad on some single's website? "SWM likes gadgets and fast cars. Looking for SF who likes flying mammals and masks."

In every story about superheroes, the one thing they can never seem to get down, is true love. Leaping over tall buildings. Check. Catching criminals. Easy. Finding and keeping true love while juggling the whole alter-ego persona? Uh-oh. Inevitably, there is one person they love who has no interest in their 'day-to-day' persona. Said person pines for the Superhero who can never reveal the truth. On top of that, when they finally do get together, villains always find out who the Superhero's special friend is and use him or her as a tool to get at the Superhero. Let's face it...dating is rough when you spend your nights chasing penguins, cats, or bald men.

Perhaps superheroes should have some kind of dating broker. Like match.com for those with special powers or skills. Of course you'd have the inevitable questions "Are you a villain? Check yes or no." "Have you spent more than 6 months in Arkham Asylum? If so, please explain how you got out and what you are doing now"... Or, they could always have a relative.

Relatives are funny things sometimes. They want what is best for you. And they're convinced that you could have the best if you just had a little helpful push. Who better to 'push' than them? Case in point: this Saturday, my aunt has set me up. What do I think? Well, I'll have dinner with a man I don't know, along with my aunt and uncle, 6 cousins, and my grandma. No matter what, you know this will make for a great story (which I won't share online). Whether it ends in late night flying over Metropolis or the realization he's my archenemy, relationships are what you make them. Best of luck in yours.

Superhero in Training

Every couple of weeks now I go to the state capital for job training. The last time I went to the state capital I was in highschool and it was for a band competition. I remember it was hot and dry and kind've boring. But this go-around I have something to keep me occupied. Cousins.

This is a set of cousins who are much younger than me (by 10-20 years) and I grew up not knowing them at all. But while I'm down here, my aunt and uncle are letting me crash at their place (thank you!). So far I have learned that caramel, chocolate, and sprinkled covered pretzel sticks are REALLY sugary (and hard to chew); 17 year old girls don't eat chocolate cake in front of you; 11 year old boys will tell you just about everything; and cousins are cool.

This week, we are going to make popcorn balls (though I will have to call home for the recipe). Did you ever do this as a kid? SO much fun. Sticky, hot, messy. Fun. We are also going to hide jellybeans (I hope my aunt remembers she said we could). Growing up, this was a favorite at my house. Some of us were allergic to eggs, so we hid jellybeans instead. The good news: if you don't find them, it doesn't matter because they don't rot. The bad news: if you don't find them now, you find them ten years later and debate with yourself over whether you could still eat them. ;)

We hid jellybeans everywhere and so homes with lots of stuff are the best. (By stuff read: knick knacks with lots of color). Those small plastic grapes: perfect hiding place. The silk flower arrangement? Always a good choice. And the smaller the jellybean, the greater the challenge. Having been trained by a Jellybean Master, I find myself in the unusual position of being at the top of skills game. Which is important because my Aunt's house is done in lots and lots of neutrals, creams, and white. (With that many kids, why?) Oh well, I'll have to convince them to let me hide them in the bedrooms. (Yes, good luck with that, I know.) But, we'll see what happens.

Enjoy your week. And remember, no matter how bad it gets, jellybeans make it better.

Deanna Carter Curse

You know how sometimes you have a favorite song, something that everytime you hear it, something lucky happens? I have that. Only in reverse. Every time (and yes, I do mean EVERY time) I hear a song by Deanna Carter, the following string of events happen.
1. I meet a guy.
2. I like said guy.
3. Things start out swimmingly.
4. Things turn disastrous.
5. My heart is broken.
6. I slowly recover.
7. I am a-okay, happy with life, and everything is going well.
8. I hear Deanna Carter on the radio.
9. Cycle repeats itself.

(okay, maybe not quite so extreme)

I noticed this Deanna Carter curse in college. It started because I bought the cd and listened to it. Bebopping around like a typical college student. And then I got a boyfriend and I listened to the cd all the time b/c it just matched the mood. Then we broken up. And I couldn't listen to the cd for awhile b/c it reminded me of everything. Eventually, however, things were fine and I was ready to listen to Deanna. So I did. Bebopping around. Met another guy. Same thing. Eventually, I realized that maybe it was, in fact, the listening to Deanna Carter that triggered the demise of the relationship. I began to test the theory, as all sociologists do. Sure enough, I was right.

After that, I did the only logical thing I could do. I gave the cd away. (Of course, eventually, in an odd moment of defiance against fate, I bought another copy. Cycle ensued again. Now it stays in my cd collection, gathering dust.) But that didn't stop it. At the end of my mission, I drove to Montana, drove back to Oregon. On my way, I began thinking about one guy in particular and randomly, the Deanna Carter song 'Strawberry Wine' came on. I knew it was doomed. Sure enough, it did. Happened one other time while living in Montana. And just this weekend, while in Montana in a used book store, Deanna Carter's Strawberry Wine came on. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The song hit me full blast with its love curse rays. And I just took it.

So, stay tuned to see if the cycle repeats or if, at last, my superpowers have finally triumphed over the power of one country singer.

Out of State

Sorry for being out of touch lately. I have been in training at the state capital and will now be heading out of state for the weekend. Enjoy the good weather, and I hope to write again soon.

The Word of Our Founders

There's been a lot of controversy lately surrounding the healthcare bill that just passed and whether or not it's constitutional. As a lawyer, I swore an oath (just like the President and members of Congress) to uphold the Constitution. And yet, to be completely honest, not once in my entire law school career was I ever required to read it. Not even in my TWO constitutional law classes. This, despite the fact that every lawyer, judge, and holder of political office swears to uphold it (or a state's constitution, as a lawyer admitted to both a state and federal court, I swore to uphold both). The Constitution is seen as our foundational document, the document upon which all other law rests. It is the supreme law of the land.

So it should come as no surprise that there is controversy about it. What does it mean? Those who wanted this healthcare bill stated that it was a constitutional right. Those who opposed it said it was not. Which is the truth? Unsurprisingly, it depends upon how you view the Constitution; whether you believe in original intent or a living document. Allow me to divert for a moment to another law that finds itself in this same debate: holy law.

There are several religions throughout the world that have scripture; holy text they consider to be the word of God. The Islamic religion has the Koran, Christians have the Bible, Jews have the Torah, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants (to start). All adherents to these religions are sometimes referred to by Muslims as "people of the book" because they all have written text (spiritual law) which they adhere to.

For a long time I have watched the debate surrounding Christianity and the Bible. Some say that the Bible is the word of God and should be followed literally. When it says stone someone, you pick up a rock; where it talks about hair length, beards, and clothing you follow; where it says to cover your head, you get a veil or hat. This side believes that scripture is the word of God and as such should be obeyed in even the "little" things. No one can add or take away from it without suffering God's wrath. They are, in my analogy, the extreme version of original intent. Look at the words, and only the words, held within the document and do not deviate. If it isn't there, it isn't a constitutional right.

There is another group that says that scripture were written, not by God, but by men (or by a God who has now abandoned us) because so much of what is in there is cultural only and does not apply to a modern, Western world. These people feel that you need to look at the words for how they apply today. And that can lead to any of the following: stating that some things are obsolete and should be ignored, reading current culture and opinions into what is written for new (and sometimes very different) interpretations, or cherry picking which parts of the holy word you choose to believe is holy and will obey. Those who believe this are those who would say that the sin of Sodom was inhospitality or that women covering their heads has no application at all today or that adultery isn't really that big of a deal. They are reading their own ideas and own views in to the religious text to create a religion they agree with. This is like those who believe the Constitution is a 'living document.' They believe that the Founders were mere men who wrote a document that does not meet current needs and so they look to the Constitution to see how it 'could' be read to protect or create something they wish to protect or create.

These two extremes in religious thought (and in constitutional debate) have existed since the beginning of both religious text and our constitution. Look into it. And yet, there is a third option. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in holy writ. They have a LOT of it. These scriptures were written by prophets, holy men of God who declared and wrote His word, not their own. And yet, we have many things today that were never known then (internet, t.v., radio, etc.). The third option feels that you can look to holy writ to see a general rule and apply it to today's world. And then they go one step further. There are, today living, prophets and apostles who can receive further law directly from God for the entire world. And there are local leaders who receive revelation for their spheres of responsibility. And there are individuals (all individuals) who can pray and go to their Father in Heaven for revelation in their own lives (personal revelation, if you will).

This third option is also, in my belief, the way the Founders viewed what they wrote and the only option our country can take if it wishes to uphold its foundational document, stay as free as possible, and also continue to be relevant to the world around it. The Founders created the Constitution and created a way to amend it. But they also set up federal and state levels (and of course, local levels) so that problems could be addressed at the level in which they affected people (think prophets for the world, local leaders for state and city, and personal revelation for households) They said, in essence, that the Constitution was our foundation stone and in the future some things would be so important to the American people that it would need to be protected at the highest level. But that list would be quite small. And they created a process for it, an amendment process, which the American people have done before. Other things will be important to everyone (or to a region), but not an inherent human right; those can be created through federal law. Other things will matter to only the people within one state (state law) or city (local ordinance). In this way, the Founders showed great wisdom in understanding people and the changes that occur within the society. They provided a way for the Constitution to preserve and protect us and help us grow. Because within the Constitution they gave us the way to change when necessary; just as scripture gives us the way to maintain the truth and holy law and continue to grow.

"In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God." Words are important. They create. Worlds. Nations. Hopes. Beliefs. This Easter, take some time to think about the Words you believe in and how the words that founded a nation should be considered and treated today.

Dreaming

I have a friend that, lately, has been feeling discouraged about what he does and whether or not it makes a difference. He's wondering if it's time to quit the particular fight he's in; leave those things for someone else. And it's got me thinking about the state of the world right now, particularly America. Why do things if they don't seem to make a difference anymore or won't?

This morning, at about 3:00 a.m., I woke up from a dream where I was singing (in my best Peter O'Toole impersonation) 'The Impossible Dream' while riding a horse out in the woods, momentarily looking for a place to use the "Powder Room". I said something to one of the other women riding a horse and going in the opposite direction (an archnemesis of mine from the 4th grade, though in the dream she was also an adult). I asked her "isn't this is why we do it, to hold back the dark?" Then she rode away and I started singing.

For those of you who have never seen the musical, Man of La Mancha, I recommend it. It's not a kids' movie; it deals with a lot of concepts that are not for kids and maybe that's why I hated it as a kid, I couldn't understand. But as an adult, I can't get through it without crying. It's not a happy movie. It's a play that needed to be written and a movie that needed to be made. In case you've never read the book Don Quixote (which I haven't, but I own--so yes, these are the movie cliffnotes) it's a story about an actor in Spain who is arrested and sentenced to be executed. He is thrown in prison with murderers and thieves and prostitutes and they decide he should entertain them, etc. He puts on a play Don Quixote de la Mancha and all the prisoners play roles. He is, of course, Don Quixote, the knight errant, setting out to right all wrongs, to launch a crusade. He has a faithful squire, Sancho, and he finds a beautiful lady, Dulcinella. Together they face the world.

But of course, Sancho is not really a squire, just a friend who set off with an old man to make sure he didn't hurt himself and Dulcinella is really a named Eldonsa, the whore, who thinks the old man is crazy. During the course of this movie a lot of things, some beautiful, some sad, and some quite ugly, happen. People's true natures are revealed. In the end, Don Quixote has forgotten who he is and lies dying. Sancho and Eldonsa (who now reminds him that he called her Dulcinella--an important message about her gained belief in her true worth) arrive and sing to him lyrics they heard him sing once himself, lyrics to the impossible dream. He remembers who he is and what he is doing. He sings with them. Then he dies. The play is complete. We return to the prison. The actor has been summoned to his execution. As he marches up the stairs to that door, the thieves and murderers and prostitutes begin singing The Impossible Dream. His dream, his beliefs, have touched them all, even if only for a moment. And they are changed. He walks out that door to his execution. End of movie.

What my friend does matters. What you do, every day, the way you live your life, it matters. Yes, sometimes you won't see the change. But it does matter. It changes you and when you change yourself, even a little, you cannot help but change another person. Your life being spent in the service of God, in fulfilling your daily work with the best that is in you, that changes the world. No matter what it is. Even a little light can cast away the darkness. It doesn't matter if the world does end tomorrow, today we fight. It doesn't matter if the economy collapses, today we strive. And it doesn't matter if tomorrow the darkness unleashes all its might against us, today we spread the light.

Abinadi was, and it is only my opinion, the greatest missionary in the entire Book of Mormon. And he died, tortured by fire. In the last few moments of his life, he did not know if Alma escaped or not. He did not know that testifying of the Savior before King Noah made any difference. He did it anyway. His story and the eventual conversion of hundreds of thousands of people make my point. And what if no one had changed? What if, like Nephi, he did what was right always towards his brothers and ultimately still had to flee from them b/c of their murderous intents and they and their children continually tried to kill Nephi and his children? Did what Nephi do matter? To all those who later were brought to a realization of the truth and repented of their bloodthirstiness, yes, it did. Could they have found the truth if the truth had lost its way as well?

Don't give up. You matter. Each day. Whether you pump gas, flip burgers, raise children, have a Ph.D., are a student, waive a sign, study DNA, use a law degree, sew clothes, love a pet, WHATEVER. Do whatever you do at this moment with the best that is in you. Change the world around you by living the impossible dream.

"The Impossible Dream"
from MAN OF LA MANCHA (1972)
music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Banana Bread Memories

This-this was what made life: a moment of quiet, the water falling in the fountain, the girl's voice ... a moment of captured beauty. He who is truly wise will never permit such moments to escape.
- Louis L'Amour

This weekend I spent a Saturday morning repotting plants with my sister and an evening making banana bread. Life is made of moments like this.

Washing Down by the River

Today I have a furlough day. This is what the government calls a forced day off. It's almost like a real day off, except there is no pay. Also, because it is a government furlough day, you are "not allowed to do ANY work" on this day. No checking e-mail, no checking voicemail, no processing applications or cases of any kind. Absolutely no work may be done on this day. It's like a holiday on crack.

And is any of it really necessary? I mean, honestly, this isn't a law firm. What would I spend my day off thinking about work for? What's to think about?

I actually like this job however. People laugh.

No, really. People laugh. We have meetings every morning at 8:15 a.m. It could probably take about 4 minutes but people actually joke a bit so it takes more like 7 1/2 minutes. And they actually like each other. They'll randomly make snacks and bring them in. People will answer questions and invite you to go walk with them on breaks. And you get breaks. And a lunch hour where you are expected, get this, not to work through it. And everyone is done at 5:00 p.m. The parking lot is apocolyptically deserted by 5:02.

As my last job was at a fairly upscale law firm (for a Rocky Mountain state with less than 1 million people), I am amazed. It was expected that I would show up by 7:00 a.m. and stay until 7:00 p.m. It was almost a requirement to work the weekend. I even worked on Christmas and New Year's. There was very little laughter, and that bordered on the slightly hysterical. No one invited you to walk. Who walked? Everyone was chained to the desk. One of the "Big Three" pushed alcohol at you at every lunch or firm event, despite the many 'no thank you's', 'i do not drink's' and 'it's against my religion's' you gave. People were incredibly cut throat. And if they didn't like you, they either refused to give you work (the death knell for any associate) or worse. So a place where people actually like each other and try to support each other is strange. And it's hard for me to wrap my head around, but I'm sure I'll make the adjustment.

Know why? Because although this isn't my heart's desire, it is sometimes nice to do a job that allows you to breathe easy and smile every day. And since that is our challenge, I thought I would mention it. It won't be a job I stay at til the day I die, I'm not sure that is a realistic concept in this day and age, but for while I'm here I will do my best daily and enjoy it. And that's okay.

In the meantime, today, I am washing my down comforter (seriously one of the best buys ever), hopefully getting moss off the roof, dishes, baking a chocolate cake, and shopping for running/walking shoes. We'll see how far we get on the list.

The End of Salt

The other day, I learned that NYC is contemplating passing a city ordinance which would eliminate salt in restaurants. Surprisingly, it does not have New Yorkers in an uproar. This is strange because, having lived in NYC, I know that New Yorkers usually do not like people telling them how to live or what to eat. They live and let live. They support their neighbors but they don't want anyone up in their face. A perfect example of this occurred while once shopping at Zabars.

For those of you who have never lived in NYC, Zabars is, almost, the Saks Fifth Avenue of grocery stores. Rows and rows of fresh breads, cheeses, fruits and vegetables...everything is very nice, comes in surprisingly small proportions (compared to those of us used to Costco), and is, of course, quite expensive. But when you want quality, you go to Zabars. (And then you eat ramen noodles for the next three weeks. Thank goodness you can eat it in so many ways.)

In Zabars one day, at the beginning of my NY experience, I had a cart or some kind of contraption that holds food and it was by my feet. A New Yorker passing by the aisle apparently felt that it was in the way and moved it a foot with nary a word expressed. Not an 'excuse me' or 'pardon me' or even a rude 'get out of my way'. He just simply and quietly moved the obstacle, got what he needed, and went on his way. Pretty typical of NY.

So why aren't they saying something about salt? Have you eaten food with no salt? Do you know why they called it the Dark Ages? No salt. (Okay, they really called it 'dark' because of the lack of truth in religion, but it's kind of the same thing. Hold on a minute and you'll see why I say that.) Food without salt is really bland. Can you imagine going out to a fancy restaurant to eat a favorless meal? Why would I pay money for that? I can get that for free from a bowl of plain oatmeal. That's why no one eats oatmeal plain. It's gross.

But this seems telling to me. Some extremist nuts who think the world would be better without salt or that salt shouldn't be available so freely because people might get too much or that people are just 'too stupid' to know how to control their own intake and so someone else has to control you and your diet. Now remember the phrase 'salt of the earth'? Remember how the Savior stated that if the salt loses its savor it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on? Have you noticed how many people lately seem to have lost courage, lost faith, lost hope, lost the pure love of Christ? We know that 'the love of man will wax cold'. People are losing that which made us human. The salt is losing its savor. The world is becoming a plain bowl of oatmeal. Such a waste.

Throughout the world we have people trying to control our right to believe, control who we worship and what we say. Some say that those who believe in religion are 'stupid', 'naive', or 'bigoted'. They must control what we think and how we educate our young. For our own good, of course, because we just can't seem to get it right on our own. In effect, they are trying to ban our 'religious salt' from 'public restaurants,' as it were.

Well, frankly, I want salt. I want flavor in my meals and I want religion in my life. I want the right that my forefathers fought and died for. I want what we founded this country for. The right to believe. "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." I want to live in a country that believed and stated we were endowed with inalienable rights by our Creator, THE CREATOR. It was the very thing we protected with the Constitution.

If you want salt, religious salt, then stand up. Look at what your children are being taught. Look at the ordinances being passed in your city. Know what is happening in this country and around the world. I'm not arguing to shove salt down someone's throat (that's not wise on any level), nor do I think you should take this analogy too far, but I am arguing that we need to be less afraid to have our metaphorical salt and less afraid to offer it to those around us. Salt was fought for at one time. It was considered as valuable as gold. It is essential to have in order to survive, or the iodine in it anyway. Do you want spiritual goiter? I don't. No one does. Why would we promote or allow others to promote a country of people suffering from spiritual goiter? Is this not the famine Isaiah spoke of? I think it is. A famine of the word of God. A famine of spiritual salt.

I, for one, am grateful for salt, both real and spiritual. I think most of us are. That's what makes this country great. So thank you for those who worked so hard to bring us salt. I, for one, love it.

Foundation Stones

Today I had a long talk with a good friend. And we talked about something that I've been thinking about for a couple of months now.

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ is an interesting, miraculous one. A history of people sacrificing everything for what they believed, despite persecution, an extermination order from the government, and having to flee every place they ever tried to settle, despite the good they did at each place, until Utah (outside the US' jurisdiction). While in Utah, they continued their tradition of building temples because temples are where sacred covenants with the Lord are made, where marriages occur, and where families are united both here and in the hereafter. The first started and fourth completed temple in the Utah territory (taking 40 years to build, in part by one of my ancestors), the Salt Lake Temple, itself has a unique history.

Sandstone and mortar were used for the basic foundation and footings. Then, when the US army came, the Latter-day Saints buried the entire foundation, fearing what the government that had so constantly turned a blind eye to the suffering of the people might do. Due to the prayers of the people, and the wisdom of leaders in both the army and the territory, positive relations developed. When they uncovered the foundation stones several years later, they found they had cracks in them. They had to recut, by hand, granite blocks that weighed between 2500-5600 pounds, to place them together without mortar of any kind. Started in 1847, it was finally completed in 1893, making it 117 years old, if I did my math correctly.

Sometimes our lives are like that. We try over and over to do what our hearts tell us is right, what we are guided by the Lord to do. Despite persecution and trials, we have come this far, to this place. And we laboriously build our testimony, foundation stones for our lives. And then something happens, something huge (whether that is death, disease, economic or personal disaster, the end of a marriage, etc.). Because of God's love, we continue on, but maybe we do not realize, until later, that some of our foundation stones are cracked. Not because we didn't cut with care but maybe just because of the material used, or because of how we tried to piece them together our way based on what we know and understand at the time, or because we left them buried for a few years while dealing with our own personal US army incident. Whatever the reason, you now find yourself looking at a bunch of cracked foundation stones.

So what do you choose to do? There are many that might become angry, disheartened, give up. It would be easy. You did your best. Why didn't the Lord warn you or just keep the stones from cracking? He can do that can't He? What a waste of effort, all those heavy blocks, ruined. Now you have to do it all over again. And you still have crops, metaphorically speaking, to bring in and another 170 rooms to build. Some people might do that.

Yet those who truly understood the purpose of the temple and were truly dedicated to building a House of the Lord wherein they could make sacred covenants both for themselves and their dead, continued on. And the temple still stands today. Do not despair. It may have been that sandstone would not have lasted with all the weight or elemental and physical forces upon it. It may have been that the mortar would have crumbled and brought such a large building down. It may have been many things of which I do not know because I do not know architecture well. But I do know that granite is a very solid rock and the granite foundations, and the way they were placed together, have proven themselves, as evidenced by time. I do know that the Lord loved His people enough to allow them to learn of the faulty stones before it was too late. I know that they learned from the first process and each successive temple has used that knowledge. It was a blessing, ultimately, and still is to members today.

Sister Sherri Dew once stated that the faith of the past would not be enough to sustain us in the future. As we look around us, we can understand what she meant. And we can see that the chance we have, now, to refound the temples we are, is essential and infinitely important if we wish to stand at the last day. In like manner, the foundation stones of our youth will not withstand the increasing pressures and trials upon us if they are not hewn out of the Rock of our Salvation and placed together as the Lord directs us. It is not cracked because He does not care. It is cracked because we must build our lives out of something better, something more sure, and something that is everlasting.

So, it is with gratitude, with increased skill, and with hard won callouses that we begin again. Proving our love and our testimony with each cut block and each carefully placed stone. In the end, our personal temples will stand as testimony to our lives and our dedication. And that is something to build for, something to dedicate.

And Remember to Brush and Floss Your Teeth

So says the voicemail message of an old roommate. I'm sure she's changed it by now. But I always remember kind've giving a mental chuckle when I heard it. And yet, brushing and flossing is good advice. Scratch that. It's GREAT advice. How embarassing when you give a big ol' smile, get flirty, and then realize hours later that you had something in your teeth.

There are two simple solutions to this. One, never eat anything that gets caught in your front teeth (theoretically, you probably don't want it in your back teeth either, but since no one usually sees those, if you must let go...let go of a molar). The second, bring a toothbrush and floss with you. I prefer a combination of the two. When I eat what I want, I have a mini toothbrush and floss in a small sandwich bag in my purse. (Incidentally, I also have mouthwash but as the bottle is so small, I use it rarely. It's the thought of refilling that gets me. And true, I could simply buy another one, but that requires putting potentially hundreds of small mouthwash bottles in a landfill. Yes, it's a small bit of ridiculousness. Let me have it.) When I eat in front of people who can affect my future, I choose food carefully. It seems like we should all be past a bit of spinach in the left incisor as we have, after all, been eating since someone realized the slab of sabertooth tasted better with bbq sauce, but then again, people used to try to whiten their eyes with small doses of acid so I'm thinking we haven't really advanced beyond judging by looks.

But back to smiling and clean teeth...

I tried it. The smiling I mean. The food in the teeth I did plenty back in highschool when my teeth were embraced in the warm cuddly hug of sharp metal and colored plastic bands (and, of course, headgear--ah, earplug manufacturing company execs all over the world must have rubbed their hands in glee thinking of how much headgear increased snoring). So yes, I smiled at a random stranger the other day (a guy). Strangely, he smiled back like I was a goddess or something. I was so surprised that I didn't even hear what he had to say. Then I had to quickly pretend I had so I didn't look like an idiot. (He had complimented my earrings, I realized belatedly.) I also almost ran into a door my boss was opening. Dangerous things these smiles. But definitely worth it.

More smiles and more stories to come...

I Love to Laugh

So I love the song 'Say Hey I Love You' by Michael Franti. Never heard anything else he's ever done, but I like this. It reminds me of NYC street dances. I just have this image of myself in a really flirty dress with some kind of ruffle or something on the bottom and dancing with some good looking Latin guy in a white t-shirt and dark pants. We're dancing a street combination of salsa, swing, and mambo. Smiling and laughing.

Okay, so it's a very very specific image that this song gives me. But let's be honest, sometimes I also listen to a song and imagine a comedic music video. I start laughing in my car while driving down the highway. Love it!

You know what else I love? Smiling. Have you ever noticed how people seem so much more beautiful when they smile? Doesn't matter who they are. If it is a real smile (not the one with teeth that doesn't reach your eyes) then it does. Even Quasimodo looked good with a smile. You know something else? I recently got a job. It's been almost a year. And in the last couple of months while living at home and looking, I watched quite a bit of What Not to Wear. Not one single person was ugly. Maybe they didn't wear clothes that fit or a flattering hair cut, maybe they didn't use the right shades of makeup, but whatever it was, it was never the person. So here's my point. Every single person is beautiful. You are beautiful. I am beautiful. And we never say it or think it enough.

So here is the next challenge. For the next two weeks, every single day, try to give a real smile to every person you meet. Try to smile and say hello to strangers and friends, men and women, everyone. See where it takes you. See how you feel about yourself and about that other person. See if you find yourself in a much better mood throughout the day.

The challenge starts Friday. Best of luck. Keep me posted.

The Death Knell of Titles

Have you noticed how no one calls each other Mr. and Ms. anymore? Or brother or sister? It's always, 'johnny', 'deb', or even 'hey dude' no matter how old someone is in comparison to you or how much more advanced up the company ladder they are. Even the boss doesn't want to be referred to with a title anymore. It's like Queen Elizabeth wants you to just call her Liza or Betty. And it frankly trips me out.

Take my new job for exammple. Yesterday the regional boss came in. I had to ask her a question via e-mail and started it out 'ms...' She laughed out loud and then came over to find out if I had meant to call her that or just forgotten her name. Apparently, my parents were the last people on earth to teach kids to never call an adult or boss by their first name. And that's too bad. Because truthfully, I think people are better off with a bit of formality.

But I could be wrong.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well readers, tomorrow is the six week mark for our experiment. I don't know if it made a difference for you, but it sure did for me. Not only did it expand the way I look at a lot of different scriptures and virtues, but it gave me the chance to think about what I think of God, who He is, and by extension, who I am as His daughter. And who I should/could be.

I have to be honest with you, the harder I tried to be virtuous, the harder the opposition tried to distract me or completely crush me or tempt me not to have virtuous thoughts.

In one way, that was rough. But in another, it was wonderful to see that I was trying enough to get on the radar. And, it was nice to feel the promptings of the Spirit remind me of what I was doing and why.

This won't be the end. Instead, I think this will be something I continue to work on for the rest of my life.

Remember, Remember

Do you remember running around your school gym during p.e. class and being told not to think about a white polar bear? As soon as you did, you were supposed to stop running. Needless to say, it didn't take long before we all stopped running. (Although the smart kids would've realized it was a great way to get out of running. Guess we know which category I fell in. Not the brightest crayola in the box. Alas.)

This experiment seems to be the concept in reverse. Instead of remembering within a few seconds of getting your sneakers to the floor, you forget. I think this is because of two reasons: 1) unceasing virtue isn't something we have down yet and 2) as you attempt to increase the light, you will have a corresponding increase in darkness around you.

Here's what I mean. First of all, I have trouble remembering my grocery list if I don't write it down. I'll get a lot of it, but I may pick up something I didn't need or forget one item I did. How often do you think of a mental 'to do' list and get through the day only to realize you forgot an item or two? None of us can keep something in our head constantly. Our very nature causes us to be distracted. Without some kind of reminder, we will forget the experiment at least once or twice. And, unfortunately, that's all the opposition needs. And that's the second part of this. Have you noticed how much more people are rude or a situation is aggravating? I sure have. And that makes sense. If you are really trying to be patient, kind, loving, honest, etc. then you will have opposition helping to create a situation that encourages you to be impatient, mean, cruel, or lie. (But on the plus side, it means you've got someone's attention. The 'bloody knuckle complement' as it were. By trying to be a force for good, you are now on the bad guy's radar.)

So how to solve both problems?

Well, for memory, I think an apt illustration is from the Bible. Peter, walking on water. We all know this story. The apostles see who they think is the Savior, walking on water in the middle of a storm, on a lake. Peter is invited to come walk on water and he does. Until he looks at the waves, gets scared, and starts to drown. At which point, the Savior saves him. My point: we have to keep our eyes on the prize. An ealier post had a great comment from Lizzie. She writes some form of the word 'virtue' and places it where she can see it throughout the day. This is a great idea. But what if you don't have a daily schedule that allows for that? What if you spend your day dancing while holding up a business sign? Then what? Well, if you listen to music, you could make sure your play list only includes songs that are virtuous. But no matter what you do each day, you can always start and end your day with scripture and prayer. And pray specifically for promptings from the Spirit regarding virtue. (I've done this and had this over the course of this experiment.) If you have a place to put a picture of the Savior, that may be another idea. Have more? Let us know. We're all in this together.

Now to the opposition problem. Some of this, let's be honest, is our own fault. Our actions and choices can antagonize someone or hurt someone. Should we be surprised when our relationship with them is then damaged? If we react in anger, well, that only escalates the problem. So first, we can pray for wisdom. But sometimes, no matter how well we try to do, we have negative feelings in us. In fact, I'd venture to guess that there are those out there who like to antagonize people just because they like to get a rise out of someone or they like to show off their verbal or intellectual prowess or they think it makes them important or included. Whatever their reasoning or motivation, it really doesn't change the fact that they are now part of a mounting opposition working on frustrating our attempts to be virtuous. What to do, what to do?

Now the obvious concept of a baseball bat, a brick to the back of the head, or even throttling are neither virtuous nor good ideas. Virtue will not cause you to end up in an orange jumpsuit. If it does, please let me know b/c that would be a first. So then what? You can either act by saying something/doing something or you can act by not saying something/not doing something. Either way, it's your choice and it is a choice. And their will be consequences. Sometimes speaking only gets you a lecture or silence only leads to increased attacks. I've experienced both but I've also experienced how silence can cause someone to change or how talking things through clears up stuff. To know what is best, pray for guidance, and follow your promptings.

This may solve problems of virtue regarding other mortals but it won't solve the problem you have with Uncle Luoie (yes, that is short for Lucifer). You can't reason with him and you can't be silent and hope he goes away. He won't. The best thing to do? Again, let's turn to the scriptures for the answers. Moses gives us a good example. You refuse to obey him or give in to vice, you denounce him, declare your allegiance to the Savior, pray like crazy. Or, you do like Joseph of Egypt, you declare your standards and then run like heck the other way. What you do not do, is hang out with the vice and get on a first name basis with it, in some misguided attempt to prove how 'strong' you are and how long you can resist. Didn't work for King David and it won't for you. I have a friend who has a friend who is married. And her husband has struggled with pornography. So his solution? On a Sunday, go sit in his car in the parking lot of a strip club to see how long he can resist not going in. Is anyone surprised by what happened afterwards? Foolish. If you don't want to get dirty, don't play in the mud. Sure, someone will always throw mud on you. But the difference is that you may not be able to control psycho mud-slinger's actions. You can control yours. And you are accountable for your's. As for someone else--how about putting on a slicker? The mud hits the waterproof yellow coat and just shucks right off of you. You are still clean. What's our metaphorical yellow slicker? The whole armor of god. That's how Joseph of Egypt made it out. That's why he is the example of the virtue 'chastity'.

So this week, let's try it. Work on ways to keep the experiment upper most in your minds and keeping the armor on. Write me throughout the next few days and tell us your thoughts, suggestions, questions.

Faith, Hope, and Charity

I'm supposed to write about faith today. But as I see it, faith, hope, and charity are so interconnected that you cannot really have one alone and do it right. The minute you have faith, well, hope snuck in somehow and charity is on its way. I read an article once comparing these three virtues to three sisters. Since I have two of my own, this seems pretty accurate. In the best sense.

Are these virtues eternal? Are they virtues of our Heavenly Father? Many would instantly say 'yes' and wonder why I bother asking. But there are others who wonder. They do it by questioning God's love when there are so many bad things happening. Theoretically, you might answer 'agency' or 'tests on earth' etc. I have found, however, that although this provides an answer, it is intellectual only. In other words, it provides knowledge in an intellectual sense, but I have found that it provides very little comfort to someone who is grieving over the death of a loved one or war or abuse or even losing a job. The head gets it. The heart isn't satisfied.

And that is why the three must go together if they are to truly change us into Christlike individuals. You must have trust in the Lord to endure a situation without becoming angry, bitter, or despairing. That trust in the Lord is faith. The trust you have that the Lord won't abandon you and will guide you through is hope. That trust you have that you will therefore not let go of Him or His children, that's charity. The late apostle, Joseph B. Wirthlin, explained it in a better way in his talk "Cultivating Divine Attributes" (found in the Ensign, Nov. 1998).

"As I read and ponder the scriptures, I see that developing faith, hope, and charity within ourselves is a step-by-step process. Faith begets hope, and together they foster charity. We read in Moroni, 'Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.' These three virtues may be sequential initially, but once obtained, they become interdependent. Each one is incomplete without the others. They support and reinforce each other. Moroni explained, 'And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.'”

In Hebrews 11:1, we learn that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The substance of something is what it is made of. Hope grows out of faith, just as Elder Wirthlin explained (sequential initially, but once obtained...). Someone truly wishing to understand God and become like Him must understand in the head and the heart. True faith is based on truth. It is more than belief in something. It is a belief so profound you will do something about it, you will change your life for it.

Knowing that, what do we hope for? What is true. To believe in a world without sorry is false hope because it is not based on truth. Even God wept (see the story of Enoch in the Book of Moses). Christ also felt sorrow (see the story of Lazarus' death). The day may come when we shall put off that veil of tears but for now, we must understand the Plan of the Lord and then accept it. This is what removes anger and bitterness. Understanding the entire overarching plan. It is also what allows us to hope. “And what is it that ye shall hope for?” He gave them this answer: “Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.” (Moroni 7:41)

And once we have this understanding and acceptance, we change. In a much simpler way, remember how you felt when you realized someone hadn't wronged you, but had actually done something really good for you but you didn't know or understand? You remember how you suddenly felt lighter and full of love towards that person? It's the same thing. When you realize that God has a plan for all of us that involves premortal, mortal, and postmortal life, you feel an increase of love for Him and for His children.

So now, we see that God is not wicked or cruel. How do we know He is loving? How do we know that faith, hope, and charity are eternal virtues? Simple. Because He said so and "God is a god of truth and cannot lie." In all holy scripture, the Lord has clearly stated the importance of these three virtues, as have prophets and apostles. Want to know for yourself? Prayerfully read through scriptures and then ask our Heavenly Father. "And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. But let him ask in faith..." (James 1:5-6.)

Testing..1..2..3..Testing

Well, here we are. Another week. Another chance to VIVO! Are you excited? I have to tell you, I tried the little experiment. And it sort've worked. I had a lot more prompts put into my head. A lot more clear signals about virtue or the lack. I have to confess that I didn't always choose virtue, but the battle isn't over. You have to be aware of the moment first. If you've ever taught or gone door to door for some reason, then you know what I mean. You learn to listen to people, listen for the opening in a conversation. And even when you don't do that job or that service any more, you still know how to listen and look. It's a skill you acquire. Same thing here. Once we learn how to listen to the prompt and look for the opening to ACT, the VIVO prompt will happen more and more. The tricky part is to not ignore VIVO when it is difficult or when you want to be GIGO. And we all have those moments. The moment where you choose to stop being patient and just let someone really 'have it' because 'they deserve it' and you don't want to take the time and energy required to find a better way to resolve the conflict. We've all done it. And if we're really honest, I think we would all admit that our method of handling things didn't handle things very well. It didn't improve the situation. It either created worse feelings and escalated the conflict or it created walls and separation. Neither of which was what you were actually hoping for. There are no easy bail-outs. Easy bail-outs are the lie. Why? Because in all the lists of virtues I read from all over the world not one had anything to do with the easy way out. The general consensus is, it's not a virtue. And it also doesn't work. So what does work? Well, work. ("It's genius in its sheer simplicity.")

"Since 'he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls' (Proverbs 25:28), how could we develop and test our capacity to govern ourselves without the specific opportunities for growth and failure that daily life affords? In fact, is not managing life's little challenges so often the big challenge? Those who wait for a single, spectacular, final exam are apt to fail the daily quizzes!

"We are to strive to become perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. But this is not just generalized goodness; rather, it is the attainment of specific attributes. (Matthew 5:48.)" (We Will Prove Them Herewith, Introduction, Neil A. Maxwell)

This is our proving ground. It's a process designed to develop character and develop it to such an extent that, given the powers of God, we would still demonstrate that character consistently. Can you imagine if God decided to be selfish for a moment? It will never happen, of course, because to have such powers you must be proven absolutely trustworthy of them. But we can all see exactly why that is so essential. Heavenly Father is no Zeus. And it's absolutely essential we aren't either. Elder Maxwell points out that if souls had tree-like growth rings, the widest rings measuring greatest personal growth would reflect the moisture of tears, not rainfall. "Most of our suffering comes from sin and stupidity; it is very real, and nevertheless, growth can still occur with real repentance. But the highest form of suffering appears to be reserved for the innocent who undergo tutorial training." (Id.) Martin Luther King Jr. concurred when he said that 'unearned suffering is redemptive'. No matter what you go through, with God, it can be for our experience, for our good.

Elder Maxwell continues "How many times have frustrating, even grueling experiences from which we have sought releif turned out later to have been part of a necessary preparation that led to much more happiness?...How many times have we impatiently expressed our discontent with seemingly ordinary and routine circumstances that were divinely designed, shaping circumstances for which, later on, we were very grateful?...Thus it is that our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father, so far as this mortal experience is concerned, consists not simply of faith and gladness that He exists, but is also a faith and trust that, if we are humble, He will tutor us, aiding our acquisition of needed attributes and experiences while we are in mortality...Our response to the realities of the plan should not be resignation or shoulder-shrugging fatalism, but reverential acceptance. If at times we wonder, we should know what it is to be filled with wonderment. Why should it surprise us that life's most demanding tests as well as life's most significant opportunities for growth in life usually occur within marriage and the family? How can revolving door relationships, by contrast, be a real test of our capacity to love?...Should it surprise us that in striving to acquire and develop celestial attributes, the greater the interpersonal proximity, the greater the challenge? Is not patience, for instance, best developed among those with whom we interface incessantly? The same is true with any of the other eternal attributes." We must not run away, as he points out, trying to avoid self-confrontation by losing ourselves in other endeavors or lifestyles. We must face ourselves, bravely, daily, and let our own 'rough stone, rolling' become smooth. We must trust. We must have faith.

And therefore, we will examine Matthew 5:48, the perfection of our Father in Heaven, and the virtues we must have to be with Him (and like Him). Now that we can see why faith is so essential and is, in fact, the bedrock upon which to allow the development of all other virtues, we will start there.

The Physics of Virtue

Well, that is the question isn't it? How do we keep virtue in our thoughts unceasingly? The secret comes from two simple laws I learned in physics.

An object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. There you have it. If you keep those rules in mind, you will realize the truth.

"Let me esplain. No, there is no time. Let me sum up." Why do I say those two rules explain everything? Because they do. Let's think of the object as your mind. Motion is virtue. Rest is vice. Action is your choice of thoughts. The outside force of the first sentence is evil or Satan. The outside force of the second is righteousness or God. So, now let's rewrite those laws of spiritual physics accordingly.

A mind in virtue will stay in virtue unless choosing to think evil. A mind in vice will stay in vice unless choosing to think of righteousness. Get it? It's that easy. No really, it is. We believe that children are born pure and innocent right? Erego, a mind in virtue. Parents are responsible for teaching morals (i.e. that there is righteousness and evil, how to choose between them, and why we must). Once you have virtue in your mind, it will stay there unless you choose otherwise. And that's the trick. It's YOUR choice.

Now, this is not meant to bash on any of us or discourage us or make us feel like less. Just the opposite in fact, it's meant to give us hope. WE have the power. No one else. WE choose. Remember, Richard Lovelace 1618 - 1657? "Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and quiet take That for an hermitage; If I have freedom in my love, And in my soul am free, Angels alone that soar above Enjoy such liberty." Why is a soul free? Because it isn't bound by sin, by evil, by vice. Those are heavy burdens. Hard to soar when you are weighed down like that.

Again, WE were given a gift: the ability to choose. And someone is always trying to take that away from us by telling us that we not only aren't responsible for our thoughts or life, but can't be. And that means this: you can't change. It means there is no hope. It means that there isn't really anything you can do unless you get lucky. And that's a LIE. Think about it from a historical perspective for a moment. Remember the Holocaust? Remember the concentration camps? Remember how some of the prisoners maintained love and charity and patience throughout? Guess what? Those people chose to do that. Each and every one. (See Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.) And guess what? That means virtue isn't a commodity owned only by a few. It's like air. Everyone can have it. They just have to let themselves.

So there you are, praying for virtue and then, bam! You get tested (because we are here to prove ourselves and that means we'll be tested) by a really rude person who yells at you, maybe shoves you or spits on you. Now stop. Right there in that second before you react. Take out the reaction. Put in action. You choose. There is always a second before where you make a choice. Remember those in the concentration camp? They chose to share bread. You choose not to yell back. There you are watching tv or laying in bed or driving your car and you see something or someone who is incredibly attractive or a situation that starts to get you thinking down a certain path. Stop right there. Take out the reaction. Put in the action. You choose to turn off the tv, look away, get out of bed, say a prayer and stay on your knees or keep praying until the situation is past. And then you keep your mind that way. Just like GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) so too VIVO (virtue in, virtue out). And, interestingly for those of you who don't speak Spanish. VIVO means "I live." (from vivir: to live) And that's the point. LIVE. Choose to live, to take action, to change your thoughts. And once you have that virtue, it's like a stone rolling down a mountain that just keeps going. Unless you allow vice to insert itself, it won't. And the more you reinsert virtue, the harder it is for vice to get in. There's only so much room in the car people, even if you feel like your mind is a clown car.

When you find yourself in GIGO land, well, remember an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. That outside force is you choosing virtue. So, there you are, already thinking impatiently, jealously, lustily, angrily, etc. or you are taking action gossiping, lying, reading/viewing/thinking pornography. Remember, it's your choice. The problem is that we have someone who is actively telling us that there is no choice, that its reaction time not action time. (Remember, there is no devil, for I am none? LIE.) And then, of course, we tell ourselves another lie. I was tired. It was a bad day. I couldn't help it. That is the exact opposite of the concept of self-reliance or the ability to choose our destiny. You can help it. Even when you are tired, frustrated, unjustly accused.

Hearing that might make us angry or frustrated. And that is an indication of just how much we've come to believe the lie. Because truthfully, it should inspire us. 'Oh, that's right. I have the choice. And I can ask for help. There is always hope. I just have to choose and start. Go and do.'

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." He suffered all temptation. He descended below all things. Never once did he falter. Never once did he choose vice. Why? Because He never forgot the truth. He never listened to the lies. He cast such from Him and so can we. Remember the truth. Remember who you are. Remember the gift you were given. Make the choice. For the next few days, let's consciously work at remembering the laws of virtue and see if that makes it easier to live with virtue in your thoughts and keep them there.

VIVO.

Rachel Ray's Guide to Garnishment

Quick recap: We are conducting a 4-6 week experiment on virtue. More specifically, we are taking one scripture and testing its veracity. The scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 121:45: Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

My hypothesis is that this scripture is true. God is a god of truth and cannot lie. Therefore, IF we (1) are full of charity to all men and the household of faith and (2) let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly THEN our (1) confidence will wax strong in God's presence and (2) the doctrine of the priesthood (i.e. the gospel and covenants) shall distill upon our souls as heaven's dews. (Note my emphasis which points out that this is a logic proof. If A then B. A, therefore B. Now, of course, the scripture above is a little more complicated than: If A then B. It is, in fact, If (A1 + A2) and B then C and D. But the manner of proving is still the same. A (meaning A1 + A2) and B. Therefore C and D. (And though right now we are focusing on the B, we will come to A (meaning A1 + A2) as well. We will define/explain the rest of the terms like 'household of faith' 'wax strong' and how knowledge distills like dews of heaven, etc.)

We've defined the term 'virtue' to mean 'integrity and moral excellence, power and strength'. But now we have to define another key term 'garnish'. What does it mean to let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly? Once again, let's turn to Wikipedia for an answer.

Wikipedia points out several meanings:
Garnishment, withholding of one's wages by one's employer to pay one's debt owed to a third party
Garnish, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Garnish (fee), a fee paid by a new prisoner to other prisoners upon arrival at a jail
Garnish (food), a substance used primarily as an embellishment or decoration to a prepared food or drink item
Cocktail garnish, decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink

Some of these are obviously not what was meant. It is ludicrous to think that the Lord was referencing cities in Canada. But what about a fee or a debt? Is the Lord suggesting that virtue should garnish our thoughts, i.e. withhold something from our thoughts to pay for a debt? Or, could He mean that virtue is a fee paid by us or our thoughts (the prisoner) to other people or other thoughts? These just don't seem to make sense from the context of the scripture. For He doesn't seem to be advocating the removal of something from us, but rather the addition of something. This leaves only the last two possible meanings. And I tend to add those together; an addition to something. Let's go back to wikipedia for more on this topic. Under 'garnish (food)' it states:
A garnished crabcake: Garnish is a substance used as an embellishment or decoration on a prepared food dish or drink item. In some cases, it may give added or contrasting flavor, but a typical garnish is used to augment the visual impact of the plate, not just enhance the flavor. This is in contrast to a condiment which is primarily a flavor added to another food item. A garnish makes food or drink items more visually appealing. They may, for example, enhance their color, such as when paprika is sprinkled on a salmon salad. They may give a color contrast, for example when parsley or chives are sprinkled on potatoes. They may make a cocktail more visually appealing, such as when a slice of starfruit is added to an exotic drink, or when a Mai Tai is topped with a number of tropical fruit. A garnish may be so readily identified with a specific dish that the dish may appear incomplete without the garnish. (Emphasis added.)

Now that, to me, is interesting. Could virtue be an embellishment or decoration adding to our character or contrasting ours with the natural man? Have you ever heard someone says 'she just glows', in reference to someone who seems to have a light from within. That would be virtue augmenting the visual impact upon someone's spiritual eyes, as well as enhancing us. And, could it be that true followers of Christ are so readily identified with virtue (integrity, moral excellence, power and strength) that without them, that follower is incomplete? I believe this is what the Lord meant when He spoke.

Occasionally, I watch Rachel Ray. She's a tv chef--making food, selling knives and cookware, and, every now and again, discussing shoe heel heights. Now, on Rachel Ray's website she has over 45 pages of recipes that include a garnish of some kind or another. 45 pages! That's amazing. That's a lot of different types of garnish and ways to use them.

For our experiment, we are supposed to take virtue and use it like a garnish upon our thoughts. Not just every now and again, but unceasingly. And that can be tough. But that's the requirement. The scripture doesn't say 'occasionally' or 'when you are in a good mood' or even 'when it's easy'. It says 'unceasingly'. I'm guessing that most of you, like myself, fall short of 'unceasingly'. In fact, I'm guessing that most of us think about it quite rarely unless something points out the garnishment. (I.e. 'that's not very kind' oh--whoops! Add charity to my thoughts. Or, 'that was very honest of you' yeah, I'm honest. That sort of thing.) If you did keep 'integrity and moral excellence, power and strength' in your thoughts unceasingly you wouldn't be a part of this experiment with me. Instead, you'd be out living it and we'd be learning from you, not with you. And if that's you, I commend you. If not, take heart, we are proved in process of time. That means, as Elder Maxwell pointed out, it's a process and it's going to take time. Fortunately, throughout mortality, that's what we've got.

So stay tuned, our next blog will discuss how to keep virtue in our thoughts unceasingly. After that, we turn to specific virtues and how and when to add those to our thoughts. Finally, we'll look at the other parts of the scripture and put it all together. Throughout, I invite you to post comments about questions, successes, failures, thoughts, etc. We're all in this together. And as we learn together and pray together and for each other's success, well, that's one way to become filled with charity towards all men.

And the Survey Says...

Well all, I must apologize for not writing back immediately. All good things must come to an end, including computers sometimes. But, we are back and ready to move forward with another post. I got some questions from bloggers regarding the definition of virtue and virtuous thoughts. One of the most important things you can do in any experiment is to define terms. And since this was exactly where I planned to go next...let's take a walk down the garden together.

Virtue. It seems like it would be easily definable. But I have been surprised at just how many variations there are to it and how many countries define different things as virtuous or not. Today, we will explore those. Some consider virtue to mean 'a good quality, a quality that is morally good'. Another definition is 'admirable quality, a quality that is good or admirable but not necessarily in moral terms' (see Encarta World English Dictionary). Yet another dictionary (Dictionary.com) defines it as 'moral excellence, goodness, righteousness, conformity of one's life to moral and ethical principles, uprightness, rectitude.' And, of course, going back to the root of the word, Latin, tells us virtue means 'moral excellence'. The Catholic Dictionary referenced the Latin but stated that virtue signifies manliness or courage. In the Bible's Guide to the Scriptures, virtue is defined as 'integrity and moral excellence, power and strength.' Wikipedia defines virtue as moral excellence but then goes on to state "a virtue is a character trait or quality valued as being always good in and of itself. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting individual and collective well being. The opposite of virtue is vice."

Now this brings me to a critical point. Because so many define virtue in so many different ways, they then have many different lists of what is or is not a virtue. In the past, I did it too. Whenever I read something about 'virtue' I mentally made it synonymous with 'chastity'. And that is not correct. Although chastity is a virtue, it is not the definition of virtue. Not only did this limit my understanding of virtue and how to gain it and maintain it, it also limited my understanding of scripture.

So which to use? I have decided to go with the final definition listed above for a couple of different reasons. One of which is Hebrew. In Hebrew virtue is 'middot' and for Judaism, the virtuous person (ba'al middot) imitates the virtue of God.
(See The Book of Virtues). To me, therefore, virtue cannot simply mean 'an admirable quality, but not necessarily in moral terms'. It cannot simply mean 'conformity of one's life to moral and ethical principles' if the one defining moral and ethical principles is man. For example, Western culture traditionally listed four cardinal virtues 'temperence, prudence, fortitude, and justice' (see Wikipedia, 'virtue'), while Romans had a list that included things such as frugality, dutifulness, wholesomeness, tenacity, and fifteen others. Wikipedia states that in Christianity, the three virtues are faith, hope, and charity, and the fruits of the Spirit, as listed by Paul. Muslim virtues are prayer, repentance, honesty, loyalty, sincerity, frugality, prudence, moderation, self-restraint, discipline, perseverance, patience, hope, dignity, courage, justice, tolerance, wisdom, good speech, respect, purity, courtesy, kindness, gratitude, generosity, contentment, and others (again, see Wikipedia). For Buddhists, virtue would correspond with the 8 fold path, yet Chinese philosophy shows that the concept of virtue changed over time. Even modern psychology has a list of virtues. It's like reading a survey list. 'Well, 8 people said...but 52 said...so we'll define it as...." This doesn't work for me.

If truth is eternal, and I believe that it is, then virtue shouldn't change by time or place or culture. Since I believe that there is a God and that He does reveal His word to us (for the express purpose of helping us understand how to align our will with His and purify ourselves to return to Him) I will go through all scripture and make a list of things the Lord considers virtues (just not in this blog). Then, using that as our definition, review scriptures that use the term 'virtue' to understand the end effect of virtue. However, as we have to start somewhere quickly, and as we will go through scriptures throughout the following weeks, for the purpose of this experiment, let us now use the definition given to us by the Bible's guide, 'integrity and moral excellence, power and strength.'

Next, we will explore the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 121:45
"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." We will also look at Philippians 4:8 " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

You + Virtue = Ruby x n

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 10:31) Maybe you've read this scripture and, being a modern day reader, wondered why King Solomon placed a virtuous woman's worth above rubies instead of something like diamonds or gold (which are considered today to be far more valuable).

Let's go to our handy friend, Wikipedia. Hopefully, that will lead us to some answers.

According to Wiki-, rubies are one of the four precious stones(sapphire, emerald, and diamond being the other three). Only diamonds and moissanite are harder (and really, who owns a moissanite ring anyway?) Rubies are very stable, chemically speaking, and are light-absorptive for certain sections of the light spectrum. All natural rubies have imperfections in them, and today that has led to heat-treating to 'fix' the imperfection. Of course, technology now allows for synthetic and imitation rubies. Rubies have always been very highly valued in Asia and were even buried under building foundations to secure good fortune.

Okay, so this doesn't exactly explain WHY they were considered so valuable, but we know they were. Elsewhere on the web I learned that rubies were once considered even more precious than diamonds (until diamond cutters' skill improved). Literature also details the ruby's worth (in Dante's Divine Comedy, it was a ruby which represented the glowing radiance of divine joy). And, a few years ago, a ruby sold for $19,600.00 (not a small chunk of change for one gem).

So rubies obviously held value and King Solomon knew that. And he obviously placed value in virtue. Why?

That's what I want to explore. There is a scripture which states "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." (D&C 121:45) Normally of course, we often think of virtue as synonymous with purity or chastity. But virtue is so much more than that.

Talking with several friends, I've decided to invite all my readers to join in a little experiment. The Great Virtue Experiment. For the next 4 weeks, I invite each person to let your thoughts be virtuous and then comment on how that changes you (if it does) or changes how you view your life and the world and people around you. Each blog will focus on virtue, it's meaning, what is considered virtuous by various countries or cultures around the world, and personal experiences regarding virtue. At the end of the 4 weeks, we'll see if we've gained confidence before God and increased our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation.

Be on the lookout over the next few days as we define terms and outline the scope of the experiment.