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Last month I had the privilege of baptizing my second son, Trent. To me, it is one of the greatest joys I have as a father, and a great confirmation to me of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel — that I can administer to my own family through the power and authority of the priesthood.

That thought was also expressed by Elder Enrique R. Falabella of the Seventy:

The Church of Jesus Christ is a church of priests, “a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9).

The restored Church gives to each home a priesthood holder with the power of God to bless. How many times I have been able to hear the soft, sweet voice of a little child at home say, “Daddy, could you give me a blessing?” and put my hands upon his or her head in moments of pain and difficulty and pronounce blessings of comfort and healing and see the power of the priesthood exercise its influence and the next day hear that little voice say, “Thanks, Daddy, I slept just fine last night.” We don’t need to go out looking for someone having that power—it is among us! What a blessing to be able to teach this principle to our children! This is the only church upon the earth which offers such a blessing to families.

I thought this was extremely well done:

FMF gave a few questions to consider regarding effectiveness of government welfare versus private charities. Here’s my take: The basic principle is that we should all be engaged in doing good things to bless our families and neighbors. Ultimately any good that happens comes about because of individuals acting to benefit other individuals.

So the question is, what provides the best vehicle to enable individuals to minister to each other at that level. Institutions are necessary to provide organization and scale, tuning and amplifying individual actions. Government institutions certainly have scale, but are notoriously inefficient and even corrupt. Such institutions are made up of individuals, but it tends to be self-selecting to a population motivated by power, greed, or laziness.

The other problem with government organizations is funding. The law allows the government to take money from me against my will, and give it to someone else. The law may allow it, but it is questionable at best. There are appropriate functions for the government to fulfill, but wealth redistribution is not one of them.

When thing’s are done the right way (the Lord’s way), all parties benefit — one person doesn’t have to suffer for another to be lifted. I’m in favor of wealth redistribution as directed in the scriptures:

I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.

 

And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.

 

But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.

 

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.

D&C 104:14-17

When we are able to give, we are to do so cheerfully. We should be actively engaged in “[bringing] to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27). When we are on the other side of the table, we have to overcome the natural tendency to envy and entitlement, endeavoring to provide for ourselves, while being gratefully receiving help when it is offered.

Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!

Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!

 

D&C 56:16-17

I think there is plenty of challenge in either situation. The point is that all have the chance to improve both their temporal and spiritual situation. That is something that government welfare can’t accomplish.

From a commencement address by Elder Ballard at BYU-Hawaii:

“We cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches,” he said.

“While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time.”

 

That struck me as rather interesting, especially that he specifically encouraged the use of blogs and other “new media.” I know I need to open my mouth more in sharing what’s important to me — I find it way too easy to sit back and let others do the talking. I will make an effort to share more, including through this blog. If nothing else, writing my thoughts down helps me to crystallize what it is I do believe.

October already… general conference was this weekend, very uplifting as usual. I even managed to watch most all of it — we have the rest recorded for later. Something to do while I fold laundry tomorrow night. But more on conference later. First, the most important part — pictures here:

A quick recap on September and into October:

• Alec ended up having his two front teeth removed after his bicycle accident. Just means he’ll be toothless for a few years.
• The boys started school — 4th, 2nd, and preschool.
• Soccer season started as well. Three games every Saturday. It’s tough to have both of us there at all of them, but I know the boys appreciate it when we do. It’s Alec’s first season, and he rocks Trent is now at the level with goalies. He loves defense and forward. He’s been nick-named ‘The Wall’. Caleb’s now playing on the intermediate league, and it’s fun to see how they are really starting to play soccer!
• Mark is walking a few steps now. He loves the dog, the dog puts up with him really well.

This week, we took a little trip to Rocky Mountain National Park to see the Elk rut. It was a beautiful day in the mountains, and it was cool to see (and hear) the big bulls bugling to gather their harems together. In one part of the valley (Moraine Park), the cows were grazing up within 10 feet of the cars and people. It was a fun experience.

I spent Friday / Saturday digging a trench for conduit to put in an electrical line out to our shed. The older boys ‘helped’ a bit too — mostly they enjoyed playing in the dirt and throwing dirt clods. I was hurrying to get it dug and put in the conduit before the forecasted storm moved in Saturday night, but that never materialized.

Laying the electrical lines is the first step in a bunch of work we have planned for the back yard. It’s slow going, though, as it often has to take back seat to other priorities. But we are anxious to be able to enjoy our yard more.

I really enjoyed watching / listening to conference. I just want to write a few of the thoughts that were memorable to me:

• The calling of President Eyring to the First Presidency, and Elder Cook to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
• Elder Ballard’s message about being prepared to share the gospel — know what we want to say, answer the question being asked. Few people will have the time or patience to listen to an hour discourse on the church. We can be more effective with a few specific points.
• President Eyring’s counsel to pray for others instead of ourselves. Forget our own concerns and shortcomings. True power in prayer and in priesthood service comes from focusing on the needs of others, seeking to understand their needs and find ways to serve them.
• President Monson’s anecdote about the boy with ‘flaming red hair’ — followed by President Hinckley’s challenge to him to dye his own hair!
• Elder Oak’s talk on good, better, best. It really is easy to merely be a good person, so much more to seek and exemplify the best in all we do.
• President Hinckley: Singers can sing the same song over and over again, orchestras repeat the same works, but a speaker is expected to give a new message each time… I enjoy his wit, as well as his words of testimony and counsel.

I agree with others that it is silly to create grandiose goals to start the new year — only to forget them within a week. I’m not planning to set any new goals, really, just write down some of the things I’m actively working towards, and elicit feedback and support from others to help me achieve them. So here goes…

Get under 175 and stay there - I’m generally active a reasonably healthy, but losing a couple pounds would be great. I don’t have the time and energy to commit to really shaping my body… this goal simply means that I need to be more disciplined, mainly cutting out the junk and exercising a bit more regularly. I expect to hit 175 by the end of March.

Go to bed by midnight at least 3 days a week - This is a major issue and a discipline I need to develop. Getting more sleep, and more consistently, will have many positive ripple effects in other areas.

Never use credit cards again - Mostly we keep credit cards for emergencies, and pay the balances quickly. But really it’s a crutch to keep from having to be more disciplined and plan better. I’ve been reading and listening to stuff from Dave Ramsey, and he’s helped me realize my dependence on them and that it has to stop. I strongly encourage you to follow his advice (which certainly isn’t anything new).

Establish a 6-month emergency fund - Another of Dave’s baby steps (also not unique to him). It’s tricky to balance all the competing needs for financial resources, but this is something that has to be done first. Our landscaping and other plans will just have to wait a while longer.

Earn revenue from my genealogy business - I’ve been working on some web-based genealogy service stuff with some partners for about a year now… mostly we’ve just been learning and prototyping, and not moving very fast at all. This year I plan to move that far enough along that it generates actual revenue - anything more than zero counts! I see the potential as being much greater than that (or else why would I do it?) but, realistically, everything else that takes my time and energy is not going to go away.

Get out of the house with my wife at least twice a month - Two days until our 11th anniversary, and I certainly have a lot more to learn about dating her. It doesn’t have to be anything lavish, but it does have to be just the two of us.

Ski and golf with my boys - I’m looking forward to lots of fun activities with my boys as they get older. It will be a while before we all are able to do these things together as a family, but I’ll do what I can for now. As Kim’s grandfather Brig says, “All I hope for this year is to make more money and play more golf.”

Use technology to benefit my extended family - uh, that doesn’t count as a goal, but I’ll let it slide - I’m kind of the nerd of the family, and that’s okay. I know a lot about the internet and such that can benefit my family. This past year I got my mother blogging. This year I need to finish up on the Lofgreen Newsletter project I started a couple years ago. Then there’s teaching about things like RSS, avoiding viruses, phishing and other attacks, filtering bad content, etc. There’s no way I can keep up on all of it myself, but I’m happy to consult and help any who ask.

Looks like 2007 will be as busy as ever. Hopefully writing these down and sharing them publicly will help to yield positive results. I’m looking forward to it.

“The order of the church is less volunteer and more assignment.”

That’s what our bishop (Rulon Stacey) said in priesthood meeting today, as we were doing the normal quorum business issues of temple service and moving assistance.

I agree 100% with the temple service assignments. We are commanded to be engaged in doing many good things, not waiting for specific assignments before we serve. But many things in the Lord’s church do have to be done by assignment, if for no other reason that to do it in order.

However, I have a big issue with the expectation that the Elders Quorum is a standing moving service for anyone who asks. Asking friends within the quorum to come over and help is one thing, but making that official quorum business with assignments is quite another. Why don’t we do the same thing for painting each others’ houses, or planting gardens, or landscaping, building fences, installing sprinklers?

I believe that is a false tradition in the church. I am quite willing to go and help someone else when they ask me as a friend — which I hope to be with all the members of my quorum. But I definitely bristle when it is treated as official quorum business, that someone just assumes they will get free help in packing up and cleaning their home. In my mind, that is totally in conflict with the principles of the gospel.

We were discussing the Article of Faith number 4 & 5 in Family Home Evening tonight… So I asked Alec, “What do you need in order to be able to baptize someone?”

Alec: “You have to be a dad.”

Of course, I plan to be the one to baptize my kids…� But that’s not quite what I was looking for.� Something about having the priesthood.� So I asked him again, “If I want to baptize someone, what do I have to have?”

Alec: “A kid.”
Geesh, I guess I just keep trying to complicate things.� It’s good he’s got it figured out.

Colin wrote in a letter received this week:

this is typically the most difficult part of the race. this is
typically where the muscles strain and heart gives out - right before
the finishline. but i’m not feeling it. i feel as though i could go
forever. it’s somewhat frustrating to me that i won’t have an
opportunity to keep working in this area for another month or so. there
is so much i want to accomplish! but there just isn’t time. yet, i have
a testimony of this work. there are those that sow and those that reap.
if this was my work, i would have given up already. what good would it
do me to set up appointments and find investigators that i’ll never get
to teach? no, this is not my work. it is the Lord’s and He loves His
children. He needs me to prepare them to be taught by those who will
come after. though it be frustrating and though i may not see the fruit
thereof, i consider myself blessed to be apart of this work.

This reminded me of an experience I had from my time as a missionary in Germany. When I was in Leipzig, we contacted a man who had previously met with the missionaries a few times, but was not willing to commit to living the gospel. We taught him a few times, but then he made it clear that he was not interested in continuing to meet with us. I didn’t really think anything of it, it was pretty typical of the people we taught.

Right near the end of my time in Germany, I received a postcard from this man, totally out of the blue, saying that he had been baptized and was thrilled to be part of the congregration in Leipzig. I was just one of several missionaries he had visited with, and I certainly didn’t expect him to remember me. But for some reason he did, and I was very blessed to be able to see the fruit of my labors in that way. It is good to think about the impact I may have had on others, and can continue to have on people every day, of which I am most likely to be unaware.

Here’s a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting today

It’s been said that television is called a medium because it is neither rare nor well-done. The past two weeks I’ve been enjoying a rather large amount of television, watching the World Cup matches. I really enjoy the drama and simple entertainment of the games. But I also find it interesting to see how important this is to so many people in the world. It is definitely the most global event of the modern world.

But when it comes to events with real global reach, nothing from ancient or modern times even comes close to the impact of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. I was asked to speak today about the teachings of Jesus Christ in the new world. I am grateful that we have the account of His ministry among the Nephites after His resurrection, along with the entire Book of Mormon. The entire record is intended specifically to help us understand His role as our Savior, and to help us claim the blessings of His Atonement.

The narrative of the Book of Mormon begins in Jerusalem, six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. From that first chapter, we have the words of many prophets such as Lehi, Nephi, King Benjamin, and Alma prophesying and teaching the people about the promised Messiah. In the words of Nephi:

“We labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God…

We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:23,26)

The Nephites were taught of the Atonement, and to exercise their faith in Christ to repentance. They were also taught to look forward to the time when all these prophecies would be fulfilled. On the night before His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus declared to the believers who were waiting steadfastly for the sign of His birth:

“Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand. And on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

“Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world” (3 Nephi 1:13-14)

Jesus’ birth and life among mortal men was no accident. It was planned from before the creation of the world. Our Heavenly Father provided a plan for us, His children, to leave His presence, so that we might receive physical bodies and gain knowledge. Being removed from His presence, we became subject to death and sin. Jesus Christ was chosen in the councils in heaven to be the savior of mankind, to help us overcome death and sin and be able to return to the presence of God. As the prophet Alma taught, this plan was revealed to the righteous people of the earth from the days of Adam and Eve:

“Therefore, God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works…

“But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son” (Alma 12:30,33)

To me, it is a great comfort to know that our Heavenly Father has provided a plan for us, and established this covenant that we will receive His mercy when we repent. Jesus came into the world to fulfill His mission to make that possible.

At the time of His death, the world was visited with great tempests and destruction. The Book of Mormon records these events as experienced by the Nephites upon the American continent. In the midst of the earthquakes and storms, the people heard the voice of Christ, proclaiming that these things had all been fulfilled:

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

“I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled…

“Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.” (3 Nephi 9:15-16,21)

Through His atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross at Calvary, Jesus satisfied the demands of justice on our behalf, saving us from sin. This was the last and great sacrifice. The whole purpose of the Law of Moses prior to that had been to point towards and prepare the people for His sacrifice. Now the law has been fulfilled. But for us to lay claim on the great gift of mercy, we must offer our own sacrifice: “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” (3 Nephi 9:20)

President J. Reuben Clark Jr, who was a member of the First Presidency, said:

“Under the new covenant that came in with Christ, the sinner must offer the sacrifice out of his own life, not by offering the blood of some other creature; he must give up his sins, he must repent, he himself must make the sacrifice” (Behold the Lamb of God [1962], 107).

The account in 3^rd Nephi contains many invitations from Christ to come unto him, so that we can partake in the blessings of the Atonement. Speaking to the survivors of the destruction, he said: “…will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” (3 Nephi 9:13). Darkness covered the earth for three days, and they heard the voice of Christ again, saying: “…how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.” (3 Nephi 10:6). After the darkness was lifted, the survivors rejoiced at the things they had heard, and they gathered together in the land Bountiful to talk about all the things that had happened. While they were gathered at the temple, Jesus descended from heaven and taught them. He invited them to all come forth and feel the prints of the nails in His hands and His feet. He blessed and healed them, and taught them.

Many years ago, President N. Eldon Tanner, also a member of the First Presidency, recounted an experience of traveling with President Kimball to area conferences in Brazil and Argentina:

“It was heartwarming to feel their love as President Kimball, our prophet, came into their midst, and to see their tears of joy as he moved among them to bless and counsel them. I envisioned what a beautiful, heavenly experience it must have been for those early Nephite people in the Western Hemisphere who were privileged to have a visit from the resurrected Lord himself, who came to visit his other sheep, that they too might be brought into the fold and have an organization for teaching and practicing his gospel.” (“Christ in America”, Ensign, May 1975, 34)

Over the course of a number of days and a number of different visits, Jesus Christ organized His church among the people, and taught them His gospel. He gave them additional scriptures, and taught of others of the lost sheep of Israel. Most importantly, he commanded them to follow His example, and repeated His invitation to come unto Him and be sanctified. We glorify and worship Jesus Christ best when we imitate His example.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:

“True and perfect worship consists in following in the steps of the Son of God; it consists in keeping the commandments and obeying the will of the Father to that degree that we advance from grace to grace until we are glorified in Christ as he is in his Father. It is far more than prayer and sermon and song. It is living and doing and obeying. It is emulating the life of the great Exemplar…

“To worship the Lord is to follow after him, to seek his face, to believe his doctrine, and to think his thoughts.

“It is to walk in his paths, to be baptized as Christ was, to preach that gospel of the kingdom which fell from his lips, and to heal the sick and raise the dead as he did.

“To worship the Lord is to walk in the Spirit, to rise above carnal things, to bridle our passions, and to overcome the world.

“It is to pay our tithes and offerings, to act as wise stewards in caring for those things which have been entrusted to our care, and to use our talents and means for the spreading of truth and the building up of his kingdom.

“To worship the Lord is to be married in the temple, to have children, to teach them the gospel, and to bring them up in light and truth.

“It is to perfect the family unit, to honor our father and our mother; it is for a man to love his wife with all his heart and to cleave unto her and none else.

“To worship the Lord is to study the gospel, to treasure up light and truth, to ponder in our hearts the things of his kingdom, and to make them part of our lives.

“It is to pray with all the energy of our souls, to preach by the power of the Spirit, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.

“To worship is to work, to be actively engaged in a good cause, to be about our Father’s business, to love and serve our fellowmen.

“It is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort those that mourn, and to hold up the hands that hang down and to strengthen the feeble knees.

“To worship the Lord is to stand valiantly in the cause of truth and righteousness, to let our influence for good be felt in civic, cultural, educational, and governmental fields, and to support those laws and principles which further the Lord’s interests on earth.

“To worship the Lord is to be of good cheer, to be courageous, to be valiant, to have the courage of our God-given convictions, and to keep the faith.

“It is ten thousand times ten thousand things. It is keeping the commandments of God. It is living the whole law of the whole gospel.” (“How to Worship”, Ensign, Dec 1971)

God has established a new covenant with us, through the mediation of Jesus Christ. The new covenant requires positive action, not just passive commitment. Elder John A Widtsoe explained that a covenant “is merely a promise to give life to knowledge by making knowledge useful and helpful in man’s daily progress. … The covenant gives life to truth and makes possible the blessings that reward all those who use knowledge properly” (Assembly Hall Lecture, 12 Oct. 1920, quoted in “Temple Worship,” CES Temple Media Kit, Salt Lake City: Corporation of the President, 1986, p.6).

We have been given so much knowledge through the Book of Mormon and the account it gives of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let us be true to that covenant, to “give life to knowledge.” Let us worship Jesus Christ through imitation of His example. I’m grateful to be reminded of these things, and grateful for the opportunity to share it with you.