LDS Treasures

This is from Standing for Something, under the Ten Virtues section, page 100:

”

Some writers of our news columns are brilliant. They are men and women of incisive language and scintillating expression. They are masters of the written and spoken word. Likewise, some television commentators are masters. But some seem unable to deal with balanced truth, notwithstanding their protests to the contrary. The attitude of many is negative. WIth studied art, they pour out their vinegar of invective and ager, judging as if all wisdom belonged to them. Under the guise of analysis and informed opinion, they frequently dwell on their subjects’ failings rather than their strengths. If we took such pundits seriously, we might think the whole nation and indeed the whole world was going down the drain. There have been times when a particularly heavy dose of such cynicism has caused me to reflect that surely this is the age and place of the gifted pickle sucker!”

I think this needs to be plastered on the foreheads of every Latter-day Saint who is intensely into politics. The gospel, while not usually talking specifically about politics, gives us guidelines for running our lives. I’ve not seen where politics are exempted from the gospel. We’re expected to speak respectfully of others and to love them–even if they’re the president of the United States and not of your party. We’re required to tell the truth–even about politicians and political parties.

It’s critical that we remember that the pundits President Hinckley referred to have no particular desire to tell the truth. They count on us being so eager to hear something bad about the other side we won’t check it. If we spread that information without trying to learn the truth–which means searching a variety of sources, and not just your favorite pundit–we are gossipping. If we find out it’s not true, and we continue to spread it to help our side “win,” we’re lying. When we go in for a temple recommend interview, we’re asked about these things. Even if the words President Obama or Democrats aren’t included in the interview, we answer to our treatment of them (or Republicans if we’re Democrats) just the same. God makes no exemptions for politics. The gospel is always the gospel.

So I dare you…find something good to say about the party you don’t belong to, about the president of your country, and about your country in general. If you can’t do it…have a chat with President Hinckley.

Everyone’s been making a fuss over a British woman who appeared on a talent show. She looked, according to the kindest article I read, frumpy. Some places had worse terms. She was an older woman and it was clear Simon Cowle, the other judges, and the audience was certain she would be terrible and was there for people to boo. Then she began to sing, and people were shocked to hear an extraordinary voice coming from the woman.

Am I the only person who is offended by how everyone, even good and moral people, were shocked to hear she had talent? There seems to be an assumption that God saved up all the talent for the beautiful people of the world, or those who meet the artificial standards of beauty the world created. What does her appearance have to do with her voice, anyway? And once the shock wears off, will they let that extraordinary voice go on to have the career the woman deserves? Presumably they’ll make her over until she’s unrecognizable, but will it be enough?

As Latter-day Saints, we know it’s the spirit that counts, not the body. Yet even Latter-day Saints have been “shocked” and surprised. It’s not a unique situation. Long ago, when I was much younger, I moved to a ward and was not given a calling. Eventually, I was invited to speak in Sacrament Meeting. The very next week I was called to teach Relief Society. The Relief Society president explained, “We’d have asked you sooner, but we didn’t really think you’d be able to do anything.” I didn’t pass the outward appearance test. As Latter-day Saints we know man looks on the outward appearance, but God does not. And we don’t have to.

Let’s let Susan Boyle’s talent stand as a reminder to us to look at people with an eternal perspective. The body is a temporary impediment to our dreams. Let’s try to look beyond and not be shocked by the beauty we find inside less than perfect bodies.

Watch the video and “judge” for yourself:
Susan Boyle

I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese. It’s no easy task considering I’m on chapter one of my Portuguese textbook, but all my friends who have come to the United States from elsewhere have assured me it’s the very best way to learn a new language. The reason? God has promised us help understanding the scriptures when we read them, and we can pray for the gift of tongues. As a result, we’ll learn faster reading the Book of Mormon than we will studying a textbook.

This is proving to be true. It takes me forever to learn the vocabulary in my textbook. (I’m not taking a class. I’m teaching myself with the help of Brazilian friends.) However, I am picking up a great many words as I read. True…some of them aren’t terribly useful in every day conversation. For instance, I can read “And it came to pass” without any thought at all, and I know rather an alarming number of violent words. But there are ordinary words as well.

Here’s my method: First I listen to the chapter using the audio Portuguese Book of Mormon on LDS.org. This gets my mind wrapped around the sound of Portuguese. Then I read the verse aloud in Portuguese, even though I don’t understand much of it. This lets me practice speaking.

Now I start to translate the verse. I don’t really try to get every word. I have the Portuguese Book of Mormon on my desk, and the English version on my computer. I go back and forth between them. First I figure out how many words I know and then try to guess the remaining words. I check it against the English, sometimes every phrase if it’s a long chapter or I don’t know many of the words.

I also have Google translate open and my Portuguese/ English dictionary. Periodically I stop to look up a word, but I don’t look them all up. I focus on words that reappear often.

I am not memorizing every word using this method, but I’m picking up words that are frequently repeated. When I finish, I’ll start over, and expect I’ll learn many more by then, since I’ll be further along in my course.

I’ ve discovered one special advantage to doing this. Reading so slowly, just a few verses a day, I am seeing things I never noticed before. Also, sometimes the translation startles me and I find myself considering the verse in a new way. It’s a brand new way for me to ponder the scriptures.

Try it.

I taught a Primary lesson on reverence last Sunday. Since we were out of lessons, I put together my own and while I was researching, I came across a mention that reverence wasn’t just for church. It was for every moment of our lives.

I asked the children what they thought that meant. We’d talked about how behavior is what is happening on the outside–arms folded, mouth quiet, that sort of thing that people usually mean when they tell children to be reverent but really just want them to behave. Reverence is on the inside. It’s what’s happening in your heart and your mind. If you’re sitting quietly but thinking about hitting your brother, you aren’t being reverent.

So, with the idea that reverence is internal, we decided it meant you never did anything that would be disrespectful to God, like using bad words. It meant being kind to others all the time. Most importantly, it meant acting like Jesus was right there beside you every minute and acting the way you would if he were there.

We learned a song about that in Primary this year, called “If the Savior Stood Beside Me.” The song asks if we would do the things we do if the Savior were near. The last verse reminds us He is always near, even though we can’t see Him.

Reverence every minute of our life would require us to remember He’s there and then to act accordingly.

My LDS Treasures blog met with great tragedy too painful to go into here. Since it was built with an ancient version of WordPress, I decided it was as good a time as any to update a bit.

This blog is meant for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s not to say you can’t visit if you aren’t, of course. It’s just that Mormons, as some people call us, speak their own language sometimes, and the Mormon-speak may be a bit confusing. If you’re confused, just register and post a question, and I’ll explain. I have a blog for those who aren’t LDS but would like to learn a little more and you’re always welcome there. I’m better at explaining things there.

Meet a Real Mormon

Who is Terrie?

I’ve been a member of the Church since I was seventeen, joining without my family. Today, I’m married with three grown children and the author of a homeschooling book, Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath–You Can Do This! and will have a book out early next year called, “Home a Little Longer: Preschool and Kindergarten at Home.”

I teach five-year-olds in Primary and also serve as the literacy leader, where I teach English as a second language. I am very passionate about both callings and might throw a tantrum if released. (In fact, they tried to release me from Primary, with firm instructions to get acquainted with Relief Society, but I kept sneaking back into Primary to sub, so they gave up and returned my class to me. I cannot function in classes without flannel boards and puppets.)