Let us invite God back into Our Lives!

This is a great article. Worth reading if you haven't read it yet and worth reading again if you have seen it before! I want to share it with the world.

Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as Holiday Trees for the first time this year, which prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like to share with you. The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejewelled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a nativity scene, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.

I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what a bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

Go Ben and Billy Graham's daughter! I agree 100%. We need to invite God back into our lives now, more than anytime I can remember in my life.

Do We Automatically Learn from Suffering?

Neal A Maxwell said:

One of the realities of the kingdom is that we work with each other in the midst of our imperfections. We see those imperfections as well as the traits and talents that God has blessed us with. And during this process of life together in the community of Saints, we watch each other grow. It is not surprising when we see each other grow as a result of the opportunities in the kingdom. And it isn't usually just one muscle that is developed. On the other hand, we see people in the Church for whom adversity is an anesthetic and for whom suffering is a sedative. And in that soil the root of bitterness can spring up. I wish I could say to you that suffering teaches automatically, but it doesn't. To paraphrase Anne Morrow Lindbergh: If suffering inevitably taught us, the human family would be a very wise family indeed. (see Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead [New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973], p. 214). It takes meekness to learn from suffering.

Some here know that for 25 years I have felt one of the precious verses in all scripture about discipleship was the one given to the Prophet Joseph in Liberty Jail: "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7). That premise is that experience is valuable, and the only way to have it is to have it. And whether it involves adversity or whatever, then we are blessed. Notice these lines from Paul: "Knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope" (Romans 5:3–4).
You may ask, "There is no other way?"

And I answer, "No, there is not. There is no other way." And thus, in this discipleship about which I am speaking, it is so essential that out of these experiences we form character. It is much easier in this life to be a character than to have character. And we see characters before us in the media all the time. To have character is a special and wonderful thing, but to develop it is not a pain-free process.

20 Of the Lord’s Miracles Given through Moses


1. Moses sees the burning Bush on Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God - The Lord identifies himself as Jehovah – Ex. 6:3
2. Aaron’s rod turns into a Serpent, Turns the river to blood. He sends the plagues of frogs, lice, flies, the cattle of Egyptians destroyed, but not the cattle of the Israelites. He sends boils and blain, hail and fire, locust and three days of thick darkness.
3. The firstborn of Egyptians destroyed, but not the firstborn of the Israelites. After sending all the plagues upon the Egyptians so that Pharaoh will “Let His People Go”, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt after 430 years.
4. They get in the desert and complain of the heat. The Lord provides a cloud by day for shade.
5. They are afraid of the dark, so the Lord provides a night light for them, a pillar of fire by night.
6. They complain, “I’m thirsty” The Lord heals the waters of Marah.
7. The Lord leads them and they reach the beach of the Red Sea. Moses finds them there beaching and moaning.
8. They see the Egyptians coming after them and curse Moses because the Egyptians will now surely kill them. Moses put up his hands, waves his magic rod and the Red Sea parts.
9. Moses tells them to hurry across to the other side. They complain, “We might get our feet muddy.” Moses tells them to get their asses, (and camels) to the other side.
10. They get to the other side and say, “Way to go Moses, the Egyptian army is still coming through the Red Sea after us. We are going to die! Moses raises his arms again, the waters of the Red Sea come back in their proper place and all the Egyptian armies are drowned.
11. Now they complain about being hungry. The Lord provides them with manna every day but the Sabbath, for 40 years.
12. They complain, “Only manna?” “Can’t you order pizza or McDonalds and have it delivered?” Instead, the Lord sends quail via air mail.
13. “We’re thirsty again; can’t you give us some caffeine free Pepsi?” The Lord gives them something better for them, He tells Moses to take his magic rod and smites a rock and a never ending spring of fresh water gushes forth.
14. Instead of being grateful, they want Moses to perform a miracle to prove he is a Prophet of God?? Are you kidding me?
15. So, God calls Moses to Mt. Sinai. (The Temple)
16. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the 70 see God. (The Law of Witnesses)
17. The Lord gives Moses two tablets of Testimony and Covenants. (I Think of the two priesthood covenants of the temple) The two tablets gave them priesthood power to do everything. That is when the Lord wanted to give them two tablets, the two tablets would be two 64 bit Ipads with a link to Kolob, but they weren’t ready for them, so he smashes them to bits.
18. Then they go to the Golden Coral to worship the Golden Calf and eat and drink too much.
19. Moses speaks to the Lord face to face in the tabernacle, sees his glory, but doesn’t see His face. (I think of the temple again.)
20. Moses receives two new tablets. Stone tablets this time, no more Ipad’s for them! They are still in the stoned.

I am so grateful for:
Moses and all the old Prophets as well as the living Prophets we have today.
A wonderful, beautiful wife!
A marvelous family that loves the gospel of and loves to serve one another.
A Loving Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
The Atonement
A great home teaching companion
Loving friends and neighbors and for all my blessings that would take pages and pages to enumerate.

Eternal Law

Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve.

“One principle of the gospel that all young people of the Church should understand is this: God, our Heavenly Father, governs His children by law. He has instituted laws for our perfection. If we obey His laws, we receive the blessings pertaining to those laws. If we do not obey, we receive the consequences.” (April Conference 1983- “A Principle with a Promise”)