In Light of Recent Events

Sharing some thoughts surfing the internet in light of recent events in Afghanistan. 

 

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

Smart People

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have intrigued me ever since Mike Huckabee back in 2007 claimed that they believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. With the recent election over, I decided to check out Mormons a bit more. My hope in doing this was to explain to readers who Mormons are and whether or not 22 percent of the people were justified in opposing having a Mormon president.

But instead I’m going to share an intriguing bit of Mormon theology I learned that I think makes them perhaps the most politically wise human beings on the planet. Ironically, this story stems from that Huckabee quote about the relationship between Jesus and the devil, but the lesson to be learned is one that, regardless of our political or religious views, we would all be wise to consider.

So here’s what I learned: Mormons, unlike most other Christians, believe that all humans lived a life before mortality. They call this the pre-existence or pre-earth life. At birth a veil is placed over our minds so that we don’t remember it (you’ll see why in a minute).

In this pre-earth life, we were all in the presence of God as His spirit children. Jesus was there—the first-born of God’s spirit children, and a leader in the councils in Heaven. Lucifer was also there, and was another leader among the children of God. He was called a "son of the morning."

At some point in this existence, the Father called all of His children together to explain how things worked. All of His children would have to leave His presence and come to earth for a period of testing. The goal was to see if we would live a righteous life even when we had to live by faith, as we would no longer be able to remember God or heaven (that’s the reason for the veil).

If we would live a righteous life, we would be given the opportunity to return and live with God forever. Otherwise we would forfeit that chance, because no unclean thing can live in God’s presence. However, God knew that we would all make mistakes, so he would provide a Savior for the world. This Savior would live a sinless life, and because of that, he would qualify to pay for the sins of the world through what would be called the "Atonement." If people would sincerely repent of their sins, then the Atonement would essentially erase their sins, and they could still return and live with God. The Father called for volunteers to be this savior, and two stepped forward: Jesus and Lucifer.

Lucifer said that he would be the savior and he would force everybody to live righteously, thus guaranteeing that all of God’s spirit children would return to Him in heaven. Jesus said that He would follow the Father’s plan and allow God’s children their free agency. They could choose for themselves whether to live righteously and take advantage of the Atonement or whether to live in sin and forfeit the opportunity to return and live with God.

God rejected Lucifer’s plan, causing Lucifer to rebel and declare war on God. One-third of God’s spirit children joined Lucifer in this rebellion. In the end, the rebellion failed and Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven. They came to earth without bodies and now, continuing the war they started in heaven, they tempt men to do evil to one another and lose out on the chance to return to God.

PAY ATTENTION HERE; THIS IS THE GOOD PART

Now, any traditional Christians reading this will see similarities to their own belief system. Most traditional Christians believe that Lucifer lived in heaven as an angel, but then declared war on God and was cast out.. However, the causes for that war are not necessarily clear in traditional Christian theology.

That is where Mormon theology is so intriguing. For Mormons, the greatest of all battles, the war in heaven, was fought over LIBERTY—or as they call it, "free agency." Lucifer wanted to take it away, while God demanded that humans have it.

Although a Mormon might balk at my making comparisons between their religious beliefs and modern politics (and as I said earlier, every Mormon I’ve ever known was a very good person, so I apologize to any I offend), I see a direct correlation here. For a Mormon, the battle for liberty is not unique to this life; it is the core battle of the ages. Lucifer lost the war in heaven (he really thought he could beat God?), but the war continues on earth. So seeing the government become more and more tyrannical is not just a political concern; it’s a fundamental, eternal concern.

I’m inspired by this Mormon theological idea: God intended for humans to be free to make our own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. The Founding Fathers of this country said essentially the same thing in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

My study of Mormonism has not only given me newfound respect for this people and their religion; it has also made me evaluate my own attitude towards the liberty that seems to be slipping through all of our fingers. Is this just something that is nice to have, and for which I thank the Founding Fathers? Or is it really something that is endowed by God, and that He expects me to fight for. According to Mormon theology, I already fought for this once. The fact that I’m here says that I was on God’s side in the war in heaven, and fought for liberty.

A Mormon might ask, why should any of us be less willing to fight for it here than we were there?"

 

Con amor,

Vero

Vero's Notes on D & C 102-105

Sec. 102-105 Take –Aways

In the Doctrine and Covenants we find how even when we are dealing with hard things, we still need to focus on the important things, like you still need to proclaim the gospel (99) You still need to organize the Church to perfect the Saints (102) You still need to take care of the poor and the needy (104) and you also get to build a temple. (Even amidst a pandemic) Both in Independence and Kirkland to redeemed the dead. In the mist of all the tribulation the Saints still needed to Proclaim the gospel, build temple, organize the church and care for the poor and the needy. The 4 -fold mission of the Church is the same today as it was back then. 

The Doctrine and Covenants contains: Revelations, commandments, translation of ancient records, callings, visions, angelic ministrations, Prophesies, questions and answers, Blessings, letters, and even minutes. 

Sec. 102 are the minutes of a meeting 

By January 1834 the Church had grown to over 3,000 members. This growth created a need for additional leadership to manage the affairs of the Church 

Be nice to the people you preside over, someday, they might preside over you! 

Becoming Zion you need to repent! 

A High Council will settle difficulties a.k.a. “Church courts”

A High Council helps to resolve questions and problems within the Church members 

Procedures are given for hearing cases

The President of the council renders the decision

Instructions of how to run a Stake council are given 

Verses 30-32 in section 102 were added to explain the differences between the councils

M. C. is set up so half are to act on behalf of the accuser and the other half of the accused. Each has an equal number of councils

No more disciplinary council they are now “Membership council”

Membership council is for those who have done something very serious 

If you make a covenant, don’t break it! 

M.C. are done to: Protect others, help the person, Protect the integrity of the Church

No more use of the term excommunication but “Remove membership” 

Some only get disfellowship. 

M.C. are mostly for people who have a temple recommend, it’s a rare thing and big deal

M.C. are done for criminal acts, abuse, abortion, adultery, and apostasy

God will not be mocked. The covenant breakers. The broken covenant. It’s time to cut off the dead branches. You will be left alone but only if that was the choice you made (See Sec. 38) 

It’s about love, fairness, kindness, justice, mercy, repentance and to protect the innocent 

We are constantly meeting in councils: Husband and wife councils, family councils. Child parent councils, ward councils, youth councils, stake councils, the council of the Seventy, the council of the twelve, the council of the First Presidency. 

The Church is run by councils so that we can settle important things with open ears, open hearts and open minds

There is both divinity and humanity. No matter what you have done, you have half of the council on your side.  

All councils should have a leader who decides and have the last word

The whole point of coming together is to share perspectives. The object is to arrive at the truth of the matter, to let fairness and justice prevail. 

See Acts 15 when Peter made a decision after it was discussed 

There is never a judgement rendered until after prayer has been had. 

“There must be the guidance of the spirit, earnestly sought for and then followed, if there is to be justice.” Gordon B. Hinckley 

You can appeal to a higher council up to the First Presidency 

The restoration is on- going. The President is the judge and the High Council, the jury

You may need two, four or a maximum of six to avoid overkilled 

It’s good to be capable but it’s better to be worthy and capable 

True discipleship is a life or death matter. 

Bondage= sins, referring to scripture power on verse 15 of section 103 

After much tribulation, cometh the blessings (See 58: 4 where 3 years before much tribulation was mentioned. Hint, Hint) 

Live up to God’s expectations: To BE list: wordy, inspiration, authority, divinity, sprit of God, attributes, to be. To Do list: competent, information, experience, humanity, spiritual gifts, Actions, to do

In section 103, we go back to where we were left in 101 wondering of what to do with the Saints as they had been expelled from Zion (Alma 34:31) only if you repent!

The moment you obey and repent is the moment you prevail 

If you have faith, it will happen. The ideal was 500 but only half of the ideal were willing 

Victory and glory comes from faithfulness and prayer. 

In 104 Reorganizing the United Firm. God has created a world that will provide what you are in need of, there is enough and to spare but we need to take care of our planet 

The poor shall be exalted and he Rich shall made low. We each have something to offer. Seek equilibrium. We are the stewards and accountable but never owners. Nothing we have belongs to us, we are stewards, We have abundance, enough to spare. Sec. 104: 16-18 

The earth is full, God did not create an earth without abundance unfortunately they are in a few hands the way it was in the days of Sodom and Gomora where they did not take care of the poor and the needy. 

The parable teaches how the Lord will reverse the roles. In the parable, we know the name of the poor man but we don’t know the name of the rich man. Opposite of this life with the “rich and famous” Vs. the poor with no name. 

The united firm was responsible for the publishing and Bishop storehouse to provide the Saints the bare necessities. The literal and mercantile were dissolved and got re organized. 

The goal and purpose of caring for the poor is everlasting. It does not change. Programs may change but the promise has not. 

Separate Stewardship from ownership (See Sec. 38) 

Covetousness has to go! “Don’t keep up with the Joneses”

Sec. 104: 20-23 is for Sydney Rigdom; 24-26 Martin Harris; 27-33 Fredrick William and Oliver Cowdery; 34-38 John Johnson; 39-42 Newel Whitney; 43-46 Joseph Smith. He gives specific assignments to each member of the United Firm, like Martin Harris was asked to give up his possessions. He contributed immensely to building the Kirkland temple. 

Is like maybe someday you will be able to help your aging parents or contribute to a good cause. This is the beginning, is not personal contribution, is not how much can I get but how much can I contribute? 

If finances are a source of contention in a marriage, this section has good advice as you council together.

 Rule #1 Stay out of debt except for a home and education

Rule #2 Increase your income and decrease your expenses. Minimize all expenses

We spend money on things we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. Keeping up the appearances. It’s all about pride. We need to live within our means

Rule #3 Let the Lord be part of the equation. He will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt. Pray to be guided. 

To be debt free is spelled victory. Out of bondage 

A multiplicity of blessings. Give and it shall be given unto you. That is the Malachi measure 

Take out ownership from your vocabulary. Use stewardship. It is mentioned 25 times. 

Keep the widow’s mite in mind anytime you ask for things that are consecrated funds. The DTA is the agent. 

Become Zion before building Zion 

Come out of the spiritual wilderness

Do everything worthily, lawfully and legally 

In 105 we go back to Zion Camp 

Brigham Young learned everything he needed to know in Zion’s camp

If the Saints had established Missouri they would not have died in the Civil War (My opinion)

Without the power of the endowment, the power of the temple people could not build Zion 

They needed to be better neighbors. Don’t boast that you are better than they are.

You want your light to shine but not to blind them. Be good to your neighbors and slowly your numbers will get larger, but they made a mistake of coming all at once.

The power is of the spirit not military 

The tower is the temple, the watchman is the prophet 

The day will come. It is by the wicked that the wicked will be punished. 

April 1999 “Your name is safe in my home” 

This is conversion to a lifestyle of honesty, humility, equality, and peace. 

Many were chosen because of the choices they made along the way to Zion’s camp

Make a proclamation of peace, we are peaceful people

It’s all going to work out, in the meantime, be faithful, there were the men who had offered their lives and who had made a great sacrifice as did Abraham 

See April 2007 Elder Hollands talk 

“Brethren, some of you are angry with me because you did not fight in Missouri but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with 12 men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and 70 men under the direction to follow their tracks unless he took them from Zion camp.” Joseph Smith

I am in gratitude for those poor souls who sacrificed so much for what I get to enjoy today.

Con amor,

Vero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a standardized test can't measure

I was taking to a friend today about an article explaining how more women are getting into Collage than men due to the fact that boys are labeled as ADD or some other disorder and that is contributing to this new phenomenon. I think that it is an easy way out for teachers to keep the students who are disturbing the class get sedated. 

30 things a standardized test can’t measure

 

Resilience

Passion

Strength

Compassion

Wit

Faith

Compassion

A sense of humor

Intuition

Kindness

Self-esteem

Intelligence 

Motivation

Fortitude

Morals

Courage 

Work ethic

Empathy

Determination

Personality

Manners

Diligence

Common sense

Ingenuity 

Grit

Character

Physical fitness

A love of learning

Effort

Life skills

Creativity

 

Con amor,

Vero

De las Cosas simples

On Sundays, I usually share a talk that I have been reading but today I will post what I shared in Church in Buenos Aires. (It’s in Spanish.) 

 

(Queridos hermanos y hermanas, me da un gusto estar frente a ustedes para hablar de un tema muy cerca de mi corazón y que ha marcado mi vida desde que era una jovencita.) 

 El elder Oaks dijo en la conferencia de abril de 2018 “He sentido que para el tema de mi mensaje debo usar la enseñanza del evangelio de Jesucristo que nos enseñan muchas cosas pequeñas y sencillas. Necesitamos que se nos recuerde que estas cosas aparentemente pequeñas y sencillas, a lo largo de un período de tiempo significativo, hacen que se realicen grandes cosas.” 

 

(Él cuenta que durante una caminata vio como la raíz de un árbol había levantado el hormigón de la acera y le hizo recordar el poder de las cosas pequeñas y sencillas porque eso no sucedió de un día para otro sino de forma lenta por un periodo de mucho tiempo.) 

¿Y cuáles son esas cosas pequeñas y sencillas? Por ejemplo: Orando en forma privada y en familia, ayunando, leyendo las escrituras y ven sígueme, haciendo las noches de hogar, tomando la santa cena cada domingo, escribiendo en nuestro diario, ministrando, asistiendo al templo o haciendo historia familiar. Etc.

El Elder Oaks continúo diciendo: “Tal es el poderoso efecto que ocasionan las cosas pequeñas y sencillas con el tiempo, según aprendemos de las Escrituras y de los profetas vivientes. Consideren el estudio de las Escrituras que debemos incorporar en nuestra vida diaria, según se nos ha enseñado. O consideren las oraciones personales y las oraciones familiares de rodillas, que son prácticas habituales de los fieles Santos de los Últimos Días. Consideren la asistencia de los jóvenes a Seminario y de los jóvenes adultos a Instituto. Si bien cada una de estas actividades pueden parecer pequeñas y sencillas, con el tiempo producen un poderoso incremento y crecimiento espirituales. Esto ocurre debido a que cada una de estas cosas pequeñas y sencillas invitan a la compañía del Espíritu Santo, el Testificador, quien nos ilumina y guía hacia la verdad.

 

Recuerdo que en una reunión la hermana Lisa Stevenson, esposa del Elder Stevenson nos habló a las hermanas explicando que la primera cosa que ella hace al levantarse cada mañana es arrodillarse para pedir la guía del Espíritu en las cosas que ella va hacer ese día. Mientras la escuchaba, yo tome una hoja y anote esta frase como mi refrán: “No salgas de tu habitación sin antes dar tu oración.” 

 

Otra cosa pequeña que hago cada día es escribir en mi diario gracias a que un maestro de Instituto nos dio ese reto. (Me encantan las clases de Instituto y quisiera tener 30 años para seguir tomándolas.) 

 

El maestro nos dijo que era de mucha importancia escribir nuestros pensamientos para que en un futuro pudiéramos leer esas cosas. Fue en un 2 de noviembre de 1979 a la edad de 19 años que yo escribí lo siguiente: “Hoy fue un día muy especial. Me puse a pensar muy profundamente en mi vida, en mis metas, y me hice el propósito de ordenar mi vida. De ya no decir esas oraciones casi automáticas de leer las escrituras con más regularidad y estar más cerca de Dios. De empezar como si me acabase de bautizar, pensé también en no sentirme mal si las cosas no me salen como quiero y todo prácticamente se lo dejo en las manos del Señor, aunque tengo que poner mucho de mi parte. Me he dado cuenta que es la única manera como uno puede sentirse totalmente feliz.” 

 

Eso que escribí hace 42 años es lo mismo que estoy tratando de hacer hoy en día. Es interesante que hay cosas que se tienen que hacer contantemente. No es suficiente hacerlo de vez en cuando. Es como querer cepillarse los dientes solo una vez por semana. Aprendí que leer las escrituras es de todos los días al igual que cepillarse los dientes. También aprendí que de la misma forma como se exprime una naranja sacando hasta la última gota, hay que exprimir cada versículo de las escrituras. Una práctica que tengo es escribir en los márgenes de las paginas mis ideas y pensamientos de lo que estoy estudiando al instante que las ideas me vienen a la mente. 

 

El Presidente Oaks cito a un Senador del estado de Indiana quien escribió: “La única preparación para tomar una profunda decisión que puede cambiar una vida, e incluso a una nación, consiste en cientos y miles de decisiones aparentemente insignificantes, hechas en privado, no plenamente conscientes, y que te van definiendo”⁵ Estas decisiones privadas “aparentemente insignificantes” comprenden la manera en que usamos nuestro tiempo, lo que vemos en televisión o en internet, lo que leemos, la música que escuchamos, la clase de entretenimiento que buscamos y cómo ponemos en práctica nuestro cometido de ser honestos y verídicos. 

 

Otra cosa aparentemente pequeña y sencilla es tratar con cortesía a los demás y ser positivos en nuestras relaciones personales.

Yo admiro mucho a la gente que comparte sus talentos, ya sea en cuanto a música, arte, poesía, etc. En el barrio tenemos a la hermana Alicia quien escribe poemas y los comparte en el grupo de Whats App con las hermanas. Eso es algo muy sencillo, pero a la vez se le aprecia mucho el que ella se toma el tiempo de compartir sus poemas con nosotras. 

Ninguna de esas cosas pequeñas y sencillas nos va a elevar hacia cosas grandes, a menos que las practiquemos con regularidad y continuamente.

El Elder Oaks continuo diciendo: Estamos rodeados de la influencia de los medios y del deterioro cultural y, a menos que nos resistamos continuamente, esto arrastrará nuestros valores corriente abajo. Para avanzar contra la corriente en pos de nuestra meta eterna, debemos seguir remando sin cesar. Es más fácil si formamos parte de un equipo donde todos reman juntos, como un equipo de remo en acción.” 

Al escuchar este mensaje me vino a la mente las veces que he remado. A mí me encanta remar, y la única forma de avanzar es haciendo un gran esfuerzo, de otra forma la corriente nos lleva a cualquier lado. De la misma forma las corrientes de las ideologías del mundo son tan fuertes que si dejamos de remar, la corriente nos llevara hacia un destino que no deseamos “las pequeñas cosas y sencillas” en este caso el dejar de remar nos podría llevar a tomar malas decisiones y hasta podríamos perecer.  

El Antiguo Testamento contiene un ejemplo de cómo algo tan pequeño y sencillo podría salvar la vida. Leemos que los israelitas fueron atacados por serpientes venenosas. Muchas personas murieron. ¡Moisés oró para pedir ayuda y fue inspirado a hacer “una serpiente de bronce y todo lo que tenía que hacer la persona para no morir era ver a la serpiente! Una cosa tan sencilla produjo un resultado tan milagroso! Sin embargo, aun cuando el Señor había preparado un medio tan sencillo para que ellos fuesen sanados, “por causa de la sencillez de la manera, o por ser tan fácil, hubo muchos que no lo hicieron y perecieron. Ese ejemplo y esa enseñanza nos recuerdan que la sencillez de la manera, o lo fácil que es la tarea que se nos manda, no significa que no sea importante para el logro de nuestros deseos justos.

 

Hablando a los estudiantes, El Presidente de B Y U les hablo sobre la enseñanza de Alma a su hijo Helaman que se encuentra en Alma 37:6 “Ahora bien, tal vez pienses que esto es locura de mi parte, mas he aquí, te digo que por medio de las cosas pequeñas y sencillas se realizan grandes cosas, y en muchos casos, los pequeños medios confunden a los sabios.” 

 

Lo explico de esta forma. “Alma le asegura a su hijo que efectivamente el modelo que el Señor sigue, cuando ejercemos fe en Él y seguimos su consejo en las cosas pequeñas y sencillas, es que Él nos bendice con pequeños milagros diarios y, con el correr del tiempo, con obras maravillosas”³  “Es por no hacer las cosas pequeñas y sencillas que la fe flaquea, cesan los milagros y se detiene el progreso hacia el Señor y Su reino, para luego comenzar a retroceder, a medida que el afán de cosas más temporales y las ambiciones mundanas ocupan el lugar de la búsqueda del reino de Dios”⁸.

Está escrito que el presidente Brigham Young dijo: “Nuestras vidas se componen de pequeñas y sencillas circunstancias que ascienden a una gran cantidad cuando se juntan y resumen la vida entera de un hombre o una mujer”⁶.

 

El presidente Hunter enseñó que: “A menudo son las tareas comunes que llevamos a cabo las que tienen el efecto positivo más grande en la vida de los demás, si las comparamos con aquellas que el mundo comúnmente relaciona con la grandeza”⁴

 

El Elder Oaks dijo: “De igual modo, aun los pequeños actos de desobediencia y las faltas menores en el ejercicio de la rectitud nos empujan hacia un desenlace que se nos ha advertido evitar. La Palabra de Sabiduría nos da un ejemplo de eso. Es probable que no se pueda medir el efecto que produce en el cuerpo un solo cigarrillo o un trago de alcohol o una dosis de otra droga; pero con el tiempo, el efecto es potente y puede llegar a ser irreversible. Recuerden que el crecimiento gradual de la raíz del árbol produjo el rompimiento de la acera. Una cosa es cierta, las consecuencias terribles de participar en cualquier cosa que pueda ser adictiva, pueden ser evitadas completamente si nunca probamos estas cosas, ni siquiera una vez.” 

El presidente Ballard enseñó: “Así como unas débiles fibras forman un hilo y luego una hebra y por fin una cuerda, las cosas pequeñas que se combinan se vuelven tan firmes que es difícil romperlas. Siempre tenemos que ser conscientes del poder que las cosas pequeñas y sencillas ejercen en la formación de la espiritualidad”, dijo él. “Al mismo tiempo, tenemos que tener presente que Satanás también se valdrá de cosas pequeñas y sencillas para llevarnos a la desesperación y al tormento. A fin de protegernos del efecto negativo acumulado que destruye nuestro progreso espiritual, debemos seguir el modelo espiritual relacionado con las cosas pequeñas y sencillas.” 

El élder Bednar describió este principio diciendo:  “Podemos aprender mucho sobre la naturaleza y la importancia de este patrón espiritual [si observamos] la técnica de… regar un terreno por goteo en muy pequeñas dosis”, en lugar de rociar grandes cantidades de agua.

Él explicó: “El goteo constante de agua penetra profundamente en el terreno y provee un alto nivel de humedad en el suelo, en el que las plantas pueden crecer. Del mismo modo, si ustedes y yo nos centramos en recibir frecuentes gotas de sustento espiritual, entonces las raíces del Evangelio pueden arraigarse con profundidad en nuestra alma, pueden llegar a establecerse y cimentarse firmemente y pueden producir un fruto extraordinario y delicioso.

 “El patrón espiritual de las cosas pequeñas y sencillas, que llevan a efecto grandes cosas, produce firmeza y perseverancia, una devoción cada vez mayor, y una conversión más completa al Señor Jesucristo y a Su evangelio”⁹.

 

El profeta José Smith enseñó este principio con palabras que ahora forman parte de Doctrina y Convenios: Refiriéndose a los primeros intentos de establecer la Iglesia en Misuri, el Señor aconsejó a los santos tener paciencia porque “todas las cosas tienen que acontecer en su hora” Luego, dio esta gran enseñanza: “Por tanto, no os canséis de hacer lo bueno, porque estáis poniendo los cimientos de una gran obra. Y de las cosas pequeñas proceden las grandes” Es interesante que en una clase de la universidad que tome donde tenía que leer cuatro textos sobre superación personal todas las mas de 300 horas que dedique estudiando esos textos estaban reducidos D Y C 64:33 que solo tomo segundos leer. 

 

Pienso que todos deseamos seguir el desafío que nos dio el presidente Nelson de seguir adelante “en la senda del convenio”¹⁰. Fortaleciéndonos como familia en el evangelio y de hacer las “cosas pequeñas” que el evangelio de Jesucristo y los líderes de Su Iglesia nos enseñan. En un par de semanas vamos a estar escuchando de nuevo otra Conferencia General en la cual nuestros líderes nos pedirán que hagamos esas cosas pequeñas y sencillas para nuestro bien y espero que todos tomemos nota de eso y las hagamos. 

 

En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen 

Four Ways to Build Resilience

When reading Doctrine and Covenants this week, Sections 102-105, I came across this article.

 

4 Ways to build resilience, overcome life’s most traumatic events!!

 

WASHINGTON — At some point in life, we all experience a traumatic event —whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the termination of a job or the end of a marriage.

In the thick of it, overcoming these adverse times may seem impossible. Facebook COO and “Lean In” author Sheryl Sandberg felt that way after the unexpected death of her husband in 2015. 

But with help from family and friends, including guidance from Wharton psychologist, Adam Grant Sandberg recovered.

Grant and Sandberg’s new book, “ Option B” details Sandberg’s personal insights on coping with catastrophe and shares Grant’s research on how humans can overcome even the most painful of events. Grant recently spoke with WTOP and shared four findings from this latest project to help navigate troubled times.

Pushing past the ‘three p’s’  

There are three traps that get in the way of moving past adversity — psychologists refer to them as the “three p’s.” The first is personalization, which is when people place the blame on themselves. The next “p” stands for pervasiveness — the feeling that the loss is going to ruin every aspect of one’s life. The final “p” represents permanence — the thought that the pain will last forever. 

“I think avoiding those traps is a really important part of the coping process. To say, ‘Look: Not everything that happens to us happens because of us,’ and that when something goes wrong in one part of your life, there is still good in other parts of your life,” Grant said. 

Instead, it’s best to keep things in perspective and know that just because life feels really terrible now, does not mean it will feel the same way in three months or even three weeks. 

Things do get better. 

Gaining gratitude 

When researching resilience, Grant was surprised to learn that people who experience tragedy not only bounce back from it, but “bounce forward” and go through what psychologists call post-traumatic growth.

“Now, this is not to say that they think their lives are better, overall. They might be sadder, they might think that their lives are worse. But more than half the people who go through a traumatic event actually walk away with positive changes — sometimes, that’s feeling stronger, saying, ‘Look, I lived through this, I can survive almost anything,’” Grant said. 

Many people gain a deeper sense of gratitude after a loss and even appreciate life more than before. Grant says building that gratitude is one key to building resilience. 

“Whether it’s counting a few things to be grateful for each week or writing gratitude letters to people who matter to you, that’s one way of reminding yourself of why life is worth living and what good exists in your life,” he said. 

Don’t just offer, act 

When someone else you know is going through a hard time, Grant says even the smallest act can make a big difference. However, all too often, we don’t act. We offer with, “Please let me know if there is anything I can do.” 

Grant says this well-intentioned attempt shifts the burden to the person who is in pain. It asks them to be aware of their needs and then to feel comfortable enough to ask for something. 

“Instead of offering anything, it’s much more powerful to just do something,” Grant said. 

When a friend of Grant’s was recently in the hospital with a sick child, a friend texted him and said, “What do you not want on a burger.” 

Another friend sent a message that said, “I’m in the lobby of the hospital for the next hour for a hug, whether you come down or not.” 

“And those small things, just doing something — offering something specific — makes it a lot easier for the other person to respond. I know I would like to do a better job at that, and I think other people might too,” Grant said. 

Don’t shield kids, rely on them 

One of the biggest points Grant found in his research is that kids need to feel like they matter, and often, adults forget to show kids that they’re willing to rely on them. Grant says this is a pretty simple fix. 

“One of my favorite things to do as a parent is to think about a difficult situation that I’m facing and ask my kids, ‘What do you think I should do here?’ It shows them that you value their advice and it also gives them a chance to think through how they would deal with hardship,” he said.  

Not only will relying on your kids prepare them for life’s major events, but Grant says it will also ready them for the smaller things as well, such as failing a test, forgetting lines in a school play or not making the basketball team. 

Con amor,

Vero

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An Experiment

For Fun Fact Friday here is an experiment 

The "Universe 25" experiment is one of the most terrifying experiments in the history of science, which, through the behavior of a colony of mice, is an attempt by scientists to explain human societies. The idea of ​​"Universe 25" Came from the American scientist John Calhoun, who created an "ideal world" in which hundreds of mice would live and reproduce. More specifically, Calhoun built the so-called "Paradise of Mice", a specially designed space where rodents had Abundance of food and water, as well as a large living space. 

 

In the beginning, he placed four pairs of mice that in a short time began to reproduce, resulting in their population growing rapidly. However, after 315 days their reproduction began to decrease significantly. When the number of rodents reached 600, a hierarchy was formed between them and then the so-called "wretches" appeared. The larger rodents began to attack the group, with the result that many males begin to "collapse" psychologically.

 

 As a result, the females did not protect themselves and in turn became aggressive towards their young. As time went on, the females showed more and more aggressive behavior, isolation elements and lack of reproductive mood. There was a low birth rate and, at the same time, an increase in mortality in younger rodents. Then, a new class of male rodents appeared, the so-called "beautiful mice". They refused to mate with the females or to "fight" for their space. All they cared about was food and sleep. At one point, "beautiful males" and "isolated females" made up the majority of the population. According to Calhoun, the death phase consisted of two stages: the "first death" and "second death." The former was characterized by the loss of purpose in life beyond mere existence — no desire to mate, raise young or establish a role within society. 

 

As time went on, juvenile mortality reached 100% and reproduction reached zero. Among the endangered mice, homosexuality was observed and, at the same time, cannibalism increased, despite the fact that there was plenty of food. Two years after the start of the experiment, the last baby of the colony was born. By 1973, he had killed the last mouse in the Universe 25. John Calhoun repeated the same experiment 25 more times, and each time the result was the same.

Calhoun's scientific work has been used as a model for interpreting social collapse, and his research serves as a focal point for the study of urban sociology. We are currently witnessing direct parallels in today’s society.. weak, feminized men with little to no skills and no protection instincts, and overly agitated and aggressive females with no maternal instincts.

I can see the similitudes which is concerning to me. Heaven help us!

con amor, 

Vero