Robin Bailey’s

Really good video

So why do Mormons build temples?
I really liked the comments from the non-lds religious figures

Why Mormon Build Temples

Government handouts have been long seen a unfavorable by some.  Their Constitutionality is weak to say the least.  Despite the fact, this is how we are still providing for the poor.  But it must be done!!!  If you are a Christian, you better understand that providing for the poor is a commandment.  It is essential. 

But, We think there are only two choices:
(1) Have Parental Government, or
(2) Do nothing for the Poor

There is however more than two choices.  The third way is to rely on genuine charity from churches and other non-profit types.  This is where instead of Robin Hood (The IRS) stealing our money (Taxes) to give to the poor, we do it ourselves.  Biblically, if a person gives a gift grudgingly or without his own choice, it is not counted for righteousness.  If we want to put government back into their proper role, and begin to fulfill our proper role, charity is our job. 

(3) Provide for the Poor ourselves

This was taken from a pamphlet entitled “Not Yours to Give” 

In the early 1800’s Congress was considering a bill to appropriate tax dollars for the widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several beautiful speeches had been made in support of this bill. It seemed that everyone in the House favored it. The Speaker of the House was just about to put the question to a vote, when Davy Crockett, famous frontiersman and then Congressman from Tennessee, rose to his feet.

“Mr. Speaker, I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased and as much sympathy for the suffering of the living as any man in this House, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right, as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity, but as members of Congress we have no right to so appropriate a dollar of the public money. Some eloquent appeals have been made to us upon the ground that it is a debt due the deceased. Sir, this is no debt. We cannot without the grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt. We have not the semblance of authority to appropriate it as a charity. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.”

There was silence on the floor of the House as Crockett took his seat. When the bill was put to a vote, instead of passing unanimously as had been expected, it received only a few votes.

There is more to the story.  The full pamphlet can be downloaded here.

This is a funny and interesting article I found about the affects (I like to use the word affects instead of effects to bother poeple) of city life on your thinking etc.  The article is found here.  I made it about 1/3 the way through.  The lesson I pulled from this was the value of simple living. 

There was a really good talk in the LDS General Conference called “Let Him Do It with Simplicity”by Elder L Tom Perry.  I gave a lesson on it in church a few weeks ago.  You can listen to it here or watch it here.  I really liked the example of  Thoreau.  My personal thoughts were that having to have stuff to be happy is a lie.  If we are so busy, we cannot focus on the important things, we will not be happy.  Stuff only gets us more debt and worries.  Living a more simple life brings the real happiness.   Why do you think poor people are generally more happy than the rich?  Why is camping so much fun? 

We have gotten rid of out TV.  There is the occasional DVD watching on the computer, but TV time is way down.  This has also let us control what material is viewed in the home.  There are other ways I have found this principle to be true.  I think that I have a more simple life.

Do you think if you met a serial killer, there would be a gut instinct that he is a killer?  Many people have impressions about people that they end up ignoring due to the impression failing good reasoning.  I think that the Divine Spark in all of us receives warnings of various types from time to time.

Okay, one of the foundations of our free government is that of Natural Law.  The founding fathers were largely inspired by Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Natural Law basically states that everyone in granted divine rights by their creator.  These are life, liberty, and property (later changed to pursuit of happiness).  We then enlist government, who does not have these rights, to protect them.  The only rights of government are listed in the Constitution.  There is however, a large difference between the government’s actual rights and their assumed rights….

Here is the what if.  What if your government was attempting to violate your God given rights?  Do you think you would be warned?  I think yes.  This warning would be a gut feeling, not something you read in the paper.  I think that many, if not most, people in the U.S. have a very good feeling on where we are headed as a country.  Now I am not talking about what people hear on the news.  I think these people have a “secret” or “theory” that they largely feel is unique to themselves.

I personally have impressions about things in the future.  These are not all national issues, but they all are there because something will effect me.  For example, I have a large food and water storage that I built two years ago.  Is a worldwide famine coming?  I don’t think so, but we are using this food now because times are tight for us.

My conclusion is we need to listen to our own gut more.  We need to talk to others if we want to really hear the pulse of our world.  I don’t think that there are many who listen closely to what they hear.  Hopefully, if a serial killer smiles our way, we will listen to our gut.  Just remember, if God has given us something, such as our lives, freedom, etc, He will also provide a warning system for protection of that blessing…