Behavior

I think that most of what we consider to be social issues can be tied to behavior. What makes us do the things we do? I think that behavior is something we begin to learn as a child and it stays with us through constant repetition. Very few dogs learn a trick after just one lesson. The military drills its soldiers many times so that when they have cause to act they do not even think. Athletes practice techniques over and over again so that when they are asked to perform it is natural to them. These athletes don't just wake up and decide to break new records. It takes time, patience, and careful training. Many of us today have been taught to feel certain ways about specific issues. These feelings invoke a trained response, but people can change their minds. We might learn many new behaviors throughout our lives.

Many people today struggle with behavioral problems. They say that they are powerless to change and that they have no control. They blame parents, genetics, and society as a whole. I am convinced that most people act out of a need for control. Whether it is the need to control others or ourselves. Those who feel out of control often times feel powerless to act in a manner contrary to their negative behavior. I say that control is an illusion. No one is in control. There is simply the law of motion. We can either act or be acted upon and we are limited in the extent to which we can act. Bad behavior cannot just be stopped. It requires a different type of behavior to replace it. The new behavior must be acted out again and again in order for it to take the place of an old behavior. In order for this to be effective the individual struggling with the behavior must recognize what circumstances trigger the behavior and use those same circumstances to trigger a new behavior. If they could also avoid the circumstances all together they might be able to avoid the behavior, but I feel it is simply better to have the behavior replaced.

When I say that no one is in control I do not want to be misunderstood. Certainly God is in control, but he does not control you or me. He is not a God of compulsion. He allows us our choice, and we have the ability to make our presence known in this world. However, he exerts a much greater force in the world and ultimately all things succumb to his influence. Thus, God is in control.

Thoughts on Zion

Zion has always been seen as a place. Some people use it in reference to the Jewish people or the people of Israel. This comes from the reference that the city of Jerusalem was once called Zion or Sion. Joseph Smith defined it as a type of society.

In the LDS cannon it reads "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." Moses 7:18. It is a lofty goal for a society to be of "one heart and one mind". I don't feel that this scripture suggests that everyone is supposed to think and act alike. Instead, I feel that it gives a very clear description of what is required for a prosperous society. To be of one heart and one mind means to be united in purpose and intent. In order for a society to move forward it needs to be united with common goals that lead it in a common direction. I am going to suggest a few goals that I think would be worth while for any society to pursue.

1st: Build a relationship with God.

2nd: Become self sufficient as far as it is in their power.

3rd: Uphold law and order
This is a tricky one because not all laws are just. Laws are set to govern communities and give direction on how to live. Laws must provide protection but must also allow freedom of choice, for without certain freedoms a society will not progress. There must be laws but the laws must govern correctly.

4th: Be positive! Lift and encourage those who struggle in the community
Help them to help themselves as far as they are capable, and then make up the difference. What could be greater than a community that looked after its own people? It would be a place of great security and comfort.

5th: Be productive and industrious through learning and hard work.

6th: Work to instill these principles in future generations.

I feel that all of these principles are necessary, but think what a difference it would make if we all had just one of these as our common goal. With the way things are today, the American Society is becoming more and more polarized. We have in past years had famine (The Dust Bowl) and a bad economy to unite us(The Great Depression). We had wars to fight together(WWI & WWII). We had the dreaded fear of nuclear war(The Cold War). Now what do we have to unite us? Terrorists? I hardly think that is enough as the nation becomes more polarized over different social issues. The Socialists have it backwards. People are not so irresponsible that the government needs to take control, rather people need to be empowered to meet their own needs. They need a sense of purpose and importance. Individuality is just as important as community. We all want to belong but we also want to feel that belonging somehow makes a difference.

A Work of Glory

"For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." These words taken from the Book of Moses in the LDS cannon are a central part of the Latter-day Saint belief. If I didn't believe the words came from God I might view them as a very arrogant outlook on the origin and eventual destiny of man. From the perspective of God speaking this is simply a statement of fact. God has a purpose in the creation of man and that purpose is central to everything he does. From my own interpretation it is a marvelous statement about the stewardship of man. If all things God created (his works) are for the general progression of man, then men have a great responsibility to use these resources to learn and grow from. This goes far beyond our own world though. I think that God has had a hand in inspiring and encouraging men to reach for the stars. All things are for the use of man, including the heavens. It is as though God where dangling the stars in front of our eyes daring man to reach. I also feel that as good as mans intentions might be, he will never succeed outside of this sphere without God's help.

The conspiracy of our day

This one is old news to me but my wife felt that I should post it. Communism throughout the twentieth century was looked upon as a great evil. Now in the twenty-first century, with the ever increasing rise of secularism, socialistic beliefs are more eagerly embraced. If you have ever wondered why LDS Church members are most often conservative here is an indication.

THE

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS

OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
SECTION 134
A declaration of belief regarding governments and laws in general, adopted by unanimous vote at a general assembly of the Church held at Kirtland, Ohio, August 17, 1835. HC 2: 247–249. The occasion was a meeting of Church leaders, brought together to consider the proposed contents of the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. At that time this declaration was given the following preamble: “That our belief with regard to earthly governments and laws in general may not be misinterpreted nor misunderstood, we have thought proper to present at the close of this volume our opinion concerning the same.”
Governments should preserve freedom of conscience and worship, All men should uphold their governments, and owe respect and deference to the law; Religious societies should not exercise civil powers; Men are justified in defending themselves and their property.

1 We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

2 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

3 We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.

4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.

6 We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker.

7 We believe that rulers, states, and governments have a right, and are bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they have a right in justice to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe them in their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence are shown to the laws and such religious opinions do not justify sedition nor conspiracy.

8 We believe that the commission of crime should be punished according to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery, theft, and the breach of the general peace, in all respects, should be punished according to their criminality and their tendency to evil among men, by the laws of that government in which the offense is committed; and for the public peace and tranquility all men should step forward and use their ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment.

9 We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied.

10 We believe that all religious societies have a right to deal with their members for disorderly conduct, according to the rules and regulations of such societies; provided that such dealings be for fellowship and good standing; but we do not believe that any religious society has authority to try men on the right of property or life, to take from them this world’s goods, or to put them in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any physical punishment upon them. They can only excommunicate them from their society, and withdraw from them their fellowship.

11 We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded.

12 We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth, and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption of the world; but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond-servants, neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them contrary to the will and wish of their masters, nor to meddle with or influence them in the least to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situations in this life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men; such interference we believe to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in servitude.

The Purifying Power of Gethsemane

In answer to those who claim that Mormons are not Christian.

This was the last Conference address given by Bruce R. McConkie prior to his death in April 1985.

Reflections on the soul.

Upon reflection of my own life I am forced to exclaim "Oh, retched and vile man what has God to do with you?" And indeed what has he to do with me? What do I know of this Christ, Jesus, who lived almost two thousand years ago? If he still lives today he has not spoken to or visited me. What know I of Adam, the first man? According to the records he died even before the great flood, and what of this flood? Did Noah really survive in the belly of an ark? Indeed what do I know of any of these things except what I have heard my parents testify and the testimonies of others? Only I do know this that when I speak of this Christ, of his sacrifice for the good of man; when I speak of my spirit and its ability to live on after death; when I speak the heavens and the notion that I lived with our God before being born on this earth; something resonates deep with in me. My heart is filled with deep emotion and I am forced to exclaim that it is true. I know that it is true.

Ben Stein: Expelled/ No Intelligence Allowed

I don't normally do movie reviews but I just went to see this movie and I have to comment. Already there are tons of critics saying that the film manipulates and distorts the facts, but I found nothing of the sort. It provides an alternative point of view on the subject of the origin of life. For those who believe that the subject is finished and over they have a very rude awakening. Without actually having been there at the initial creation of life there is no way of knowing what happened, no matter how advanced science may become. It is always the best "educated guess". I recommend this movie highly.

Truth

I love truth! There is much debate in philosophy as to the identity of truth. I would like to give my own definition of truth. Truth is the state of things as they have, do, and will exist. Much of what we call true is based on our perceptions. Truth can not change. Our perceptions of the truth may change but not truth itself. Truth can not be changed due to time, because truth relates to the actual existence of something in the time that it exists. It is impossible for people to define actual truth because it is impossible to perceive everything at once, but when people generally speak of truth it is their perceptions that they are referring to. In the same instance it is imposable to define future truth. No one can accurately describe what the future will be. There are to many variables involved. Still we may know that future truth exists because all things are in perpetual motion.

Let me use an example to illustrate. A young boy goes into a candy store and takes a candy bar. He eats the candy bar and is caught. The mother returns to the store with the boy and pays for the candy bar. Truth, the boy went into the store and took candy that did not belong to him. When he was caught he was not in the process of stealing, yet he did steal the candy in the past. If we applied many of the theories of truth we could say that because no one perceived him taking the candy bar he never took it. Or we could say that if everyone agreed that the candy was never taken that it never happened. This is of course ridiculous. The candy was eaten and no longer exists as a candy bar. No one was able to perceive that the boy would have stolen the candy or they would have stopped him. Thus the future was unknown. In the past the candy bar did exist. In the present the candy bar does not exist. No ones' perceptions effected events but the events did help to change the individuals’ perceptions.

For some reason people seem to fear the truth. People are more than happy being ignorant of all events not directly affecting them. Others seem to enjoy distorting other people’s perceptions of the truth. Some try to control people by manipulating perceptions. Others demand that everyone should view the world the way that they do. I simply enjoy learning. I love to be right, but if I should learn something new I get very excited.

It is essential for making wise and informed decisions that individuals have as large a perspective as possible. Perceptions can be dangerous things, for it is from our perceptions that people act or react. To act on a false perception can mean great danger for ourselves and others. I can not recall how many times this point has been emphasised in Hollywood. Most of the really catchy movies or plays involve hidden plots that throw off the main character and almost always puts them into jeopardy.

If an accurate perception of the truth is so essential how do we arrive at any kind of understanding as to what the truth is? I will not answer this question, but I am going to look at a number of different ways of deriving truth and offer my opinion. I will then let the reader decide how it is best to learn "truth".

Face Value

We can accept truth as it is presented to us, at face value. Thus the quote "Seeing is believing". This is also a kind of child's understanding. It is an innocent, unquestioning type of learning that a lot of people exercise out of trust. This method is effective if the source of "truth" is dependable and accurate. More often than not, most sources are not dependable and are based on other unknown sources. Many sources of knowledge are created with the intent to deceive. This makes it extremely hard to rely on face value as a practical source of truth. Still, this is the source that a good majority of people use.

Searching Judgment

We can search out the sources. Today more than ever there are infinite resources available to us. Looking for the source of some small bit of information can sometimes be like the needle in the hay stack. It can be worth it if by determining the source of the information we can determine the authors intent. In order to use this tool effectively we need judgment.

Judgment is based on experiences, whether ours or someone else's. It is the old trial and error method. Based on experiences from the past it can be determined what will occur in the future. These predictions are not always accurate because as stated earlier there are too many variables involved.

Scientific Method

The scientific method is the intellectual method for finding truth. The steps are easy to follow. First, develop a hypothesis based on a general observations. Once you have a hypothesis try to disprove or explain it using experimentation. After a series of experiments the results are used to create a Theory. If in the results observations are made that is so hard to disprove that it resembles a fact then it is considered a law. Laws are often used to explain theories. The problem for scientific method is that there is no absolute truth. Even laws are subject to scrutiny. In order to remedy the uncertainty and to better justify their own theories many scientists resort to a different kind of scientific method. In stead of trying to disprove their hypothesis they resort to every means conceivable to prove it true, and discount any opposing views as false. However, so long as the scientific method accepts the limitations of human observation there will always be varying opinions within the scientific community.

Faith

Faith truth is probably the most common form of truth finding. It is the opinion of truth based solely on an emotion. Faith truth is found in the religious as well as the non-religious. Whenever anybody holds to an ideal or principle simply because it feels right to them they are exercising faith truth. Of all forms of truth faith truth is the strongest. People have a far greater tendency to act on their emotions than they do to act on their reason. The greatest trouble with faith truth is the vast conflict of emotions that human beings are capable of. Those who let their emotions direct their actions are often unstable and hard to predict. They change their actions quickly and always reflect by saying, "It felt good at the time." Some exercise a little more control by focusing on certain key emotions such as joy, excitement, fear, or anger. They let these key emotions be the triggers for acting out in some way that is justifiable to them. Most religions of the world focus on specific key emotions as sources for truth. Among the more popular faiths calm, peace, and serenity are focal points. Many teach that fear is a good way of knowing if something is wrong.

Intellectuals often look at faith truth as nonsense, and ridiculously simple. I disagree by pointing out that it is simple human nature and many of the intellectuals use the same feelings to guide their research. Little is understood about human feelings. Psychology tries to explain it but with little success. I look at it in much the same way as the four senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch. Each sense is very complex but very useful in building our perceptions of the world around us. Nor are they perfect, but in fact very limited. Something might look smooth and wet, but until you touched it with your hands you would never know that it was sticky and dry. I feel the inner emotions are another type of sense. They can give use guidance, but they need to be used properly. Nor can we depend solely on emotions alone to guide us.

I personally believe that God is the source of knowledge or truth. He gave us eyes to see, ears to hear, fingers to write, and minds to understand. He has the perspective that can see things as they exist past, present, and future. Why he does not just reveal it to us is because he desires for us to seek it. He wants us to seek after him. Then in seeking we can find. I try to follow the council from my church which says, as though God were speaking, "...study it out in your mind; and then ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought...".