A Baptism in Iraq

So technically you aren't supposed to photograph ordinances...but this is still cool. Therese Gutosky sent these to me. Her Husband, Chris, is serving in Iraq and will be home soon. Appearantly, this soldier was converted and baptized while serving in Iraq.

The only funny thing about this is that there is an old missionary slideshow that we used to joke about the fact that the picture looked like Saddam Hussein was being baptized. Instead, here are some Mormon Elders baptizing in Saddam's backyard.

Are Mormons "Christian" or "Christlike"?

By David Alvord

This morning the latter-day Saints were saddened by the news of President James E. Faust's passing. Elder Faust has touched many lives and spread the message of the Master throughout the earth. As one of His special witnesses, President Faust bore humble testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder whether Elder Faust would rather have us remember him as being a "Christian" or as having been "Christlike".

While both words could be considered synonyms, I think that the latter emphasizes an attribute rather than a designation.

As the presidential election heats up, there will be some who will question whether members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints are considered "Christian". Naturally members of the church get defensive when people say that they are not Christian. Try telling a Muslim that he is not a Muslim, or a Jew that he is not Jewish.

As Mormons, we think of ourselves as being Christian...and so it boggles our minds when we hear otherwise. Some reading this could bring up complex arguments that demonstrate doctrinal differences. I have found that those accusing the LDS people of being outside of mainstream Christianity focus narrowly on the finer points of doctrine while ignoring behavior completely.

Like the Sadducee of old, some would rather rely on doctrine or genealogy for their salvation

Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

The Savior emphasized behavior in His example, rather than a designation based on historical or other means. As latter-day Saints, let us live Christ-like lives. In the end, we want to be approved by the Savior...whether or not the current definitions call us "Christian".

Immigration

Let me begin by first saying that I love the Mexican people. In fact, I love all men and women of every country. The Book of Mormon teaches that all "are alike unto God".

He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen ; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. 2nd Nephi 26:33

The United States ought to be liberal in granting citizenship for those who want to come here. The Mexican and Latino people come and they want to work hard. They do not come wanting hand-outs.

I believe that there ought not to be a long waiting period, or maximum yearly number for immigrants. Any who will meet the requirements ought to be allowed to enter our country.

There ought to be order in bringing them to our country. We are the United States of America. That means that we are United. We speak one language and have one Constitution.

I think that the following requirements would solve America's problem of illegal immigration.

To obtain citizenship a immigrant must:

1-become fluent in English
2-not be convicted of major crimes in home country or US
3-if married, bring family to US
4-not utilize any government welfare
5-obtain and maintain full-coverage health insurance
6-pay a one-time small fee $500 or so

To obtain a temporary work permit an immigrant must:

1-take English classes
2-pay higher % taxes than citizens
3-obey the laws of the United States
4-if married bring family to US
5-obtain minimal health insurance

How to enforce rules of immigration:

1-issue cards to all citizens that verify citizenship. Also issue cards for the temporary work permits. These cards would be protected by a PIN# and would be administered by VISA or other credit card company.
2-require use of the citizen card/temporary work card to purchase gas, open a bank account, get a cell phone, get a driver's license, buy a vehicle, or any other major purchase. This would be slowly fazed in...with plenty of notice in English and Spanish...but eventually the purchase of groceries would be require the showing of the card.
3-require employers to have citizen cards or temp work cards scanned before paychecks are given.
4-Temporary work cards expire every two weeks and are reactivated when they attend English classes.
5-English classes are free for first two years. Then the fees increase to $20/class.
6-Fluency tests given whenever applicant is ready. Fluency is considered a basic ability to speak at a sixth-grade level.
7-Heath Insurance must be paid for card to become activated, but fees are small.
8-Taxes are withheld from the paycheck of the temporary work permit worker.
9-Employers will incur large penalties if any employee is not a card-carrier.
10-Taxes for those who are temporary workers are on a flat rate...and will be based on the income of the worker. 10% for those who earn 10k or less a year, 20% for 20,000 ; 30% for 35,000 and 40% for those making 50,000 or above.
11-If the immigrant is married and has children in their native country, they will receive tax credit if they bring their family here.
12-Cards are issued with some kind of biological ID. Retinal scans or fingerprinting. That way, if an immigrant violates the laws of the United States, he or she will be deported with no chance of returning.

There are those who want to build a fence at the border. I think that this approach is too expensive and not necessary if the cards are issued that are required to do anything in the US. Why would people come here if they can't do anything when they get here without the card?

Another concern with immigration is the high costs of eduction and health care to the immigrants. My plan solves that problem by requiring tax payment to maintain an active card.
The revenue generated ought to cover these expenses.

There are some who want to grant amnesty to those who are already here. I think that we ought to give the advantage to those who do things according to the rules. For those who are already here, they can obtain temporary work cards. If they want citizenship, they can obtain it by fulfilling the requirements.

Why does my plan require the families to be together? First, I think that people are more likely to become good citizens when they have a family unit. People are more likely to obey the laws of the land if their wife and children are watching. Second, it keeps the money earned here in the United States. Many illegal workers send their money across the border. Some male workers get two families, one in the states, and one back home. Eventually the immigrant forgets his old family and leaves them more impoverished. The United States and the rest of the Americas will be more prosperous if families stay together...both here and abroad.

This is a work in progress. Please leave your comments as to what you view are the problems and limitations of my immigration proposal.

To sum up, my plan would make immigration open to all as long as some common sense requirements are met.

Why do many members of the LDS faith vote Republican?

Not long ago, the Southern Baptists held a convention in Salt Lake City and declared that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not "Christian". Yet, Mormons and Baptists stand together at the polls.

I served a mission in Oregon, and encountered a lot of anti-Mormon criticism from members of the Evangelical faith. Still, I voted for President Bush; an Evangelical. In fact, of all the States in the Union, President Bush enjoys his highest approval numbers in Utah!

Members of the LDS faith take a whipping from certain members of the Republican party, yet they stay on board. Why is that?

I believe that it is because of the magnanimity posessed by the Latter-day Saints, that they haven't abandoned the Republican party.

And, of course, LDS members understand that they have brought some of the persecution upon themselves.

It doesn't surprise Mormons that some Pastors don't like the fact that the Holy Ghost backs up the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon; which in turn affects the paycheck of the Pastor.

Latter-day Saints are not shocked that when Texas got a fourth Temple, Southern Baptists were not thrilled by the news.

The clergy of the competing sects feel threatened by the impressive growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS people understand this fact, and have had a couple of centuries to get used to the name calling, propaganda, and lies that are perpetuated by the enemies of Mormonism.

I have heard many times that if you want to know why things are the way they are, to just "follow the money". So, why are Mormons accused of not being Christian? When they:

1) believe in Jesus Christ
2) read the Holy Bible
3) perform acts of Christian service
4) pray in the name of Jesus Christ
5) have the name of Jesus Christ in the name of the Church
6) display pictures of Christ in their Temples
7) sing many "Christian" hymns in their congregations
8) vote like other Christians

Why? Let's just examine who is accusing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of not being a Christian religion; The PAID CLERGY of other "Christian" congregations. Just follow the money and you will find out why the charge is being laid against the LDS people.

The paid clergy will claim that LDS people are not Christian because they do not follow the Nicene Creed. But that is hardly a reason to say someone is not Christian. Jesus Christ himself had never heard of the Nicene Creed. Why not just say that LDS are not "Niceners". I am sure that LDS people would be just fine with that.

But if you think about it, the paid clergy of other denominations have reason to be petty in their definitions of who is and who isn't a "Christian"...because it affects their bottom line. They would probably call Mormons cannibals if they thought they could be taken seriously. Who knows, maybe that's next!

Talk to one of your LDS colleagues and you will find out that your friend is as Christian as you are!

So, I hope to have demonstrated why the LDS people haven't left the Republican party. But that still doesn't answer the central question: Why do LDS members vote Republican in the first place?

While there may be several reasons for LDS folks to vote Republican, I would like to point out just one reason: The Book of Mormon.

No, the Book of Mormon does not talk about abortion. And the Book doesn't get into stem cell research. But, it does mention the burden of heavy taxes. And more importantly, it speaks volumes about the secret terror organizations that we face today.

The Book of Mormon refers to these organizations as "secret combinations". Over and over, the BOM demonstrates that entire civilizations have been brought down because of these secret terror groups.

Those who read the Book of Mormon understand that: "...whoso buildeth it up (secret combinations) seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil..."(ETHER 8: 25)

Rudy Giuliani (not a member of the LDS faith) had something similar to say:

They hate us, not because of anything bad we've done. This has nothing to do with any aggression on the part of the United States of America. It has nothing to do with anything America is taking from anyone. It has nothing to do with Israel and Palestine. They hate us for the freedoms that we have and the freedoms that we want to share with the world, because the freedoms that we have and the freedoms that we want to share with the world are in conflict with their perverted interpretation of their religion, their maniacal, violent, and perverted interpretation of their religion in which they train their young people to be suicide bombers, and they train them to hate you and despise you, and they train them to hate your religion, and to not allow you to have religion of your own, or anyone else. They hate us for the reasons that are the best about us, because we have freedom of religion, because we have freedom for women, because women are allowed to participate in society, because we have elections, because we have a free economy. Well, we're not giving that up, and you're not going to come and take it from us.

President Hinckley (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) had this to say:

Those of us who are American citizens stand solidly with the president of our nation. The terrible forces of evil must be confronted and held accountable for their actions. This is not a matter of Christian against Muslim. I am pleased that food is being dropped to the hungry people of a targeted nation. We value our Muslim neighbors across the world and hope that those who live by the tenets of their faith will not suffer. I ask particularly that our own people do not become a party in any way to the persecution of the innocent. Rather, let us be friendly and helpful, protective and supportive. It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down.

We of this Church know something of such groups. The Book of Mormon speaks of the Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oath-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction. In their day they did all in their power, by whatever means available, to bring down the Church, to woo the people with sophistry, and to take control of the society. We see the same thing in the present situation.

We are people of peace. We are followers of the Christ who was and is the Prince of Peace. But there are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children, and the cause of liberty. (link: The times in which we live, by President Hinckley)

By the way, not all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints vote Republican. The Church itself expresses political neutrality. But those who read the Book of Mormon cannot escape the responsibility to vote for those leaders who will put down secret terror organizations. If members of the Democratic party will embrace the war on terror, I am sure that they will enjoy more votes from the LDS people...as long as it doesn't bother them that their votes don't come from "Niceners".

This is no game!

Presidential politics is not a game! You might think this is a game, but, trust me, this is no game. This is not something where rock beats scissors or paper covers rock or rock wraps itself up in paper and gives itself as a present to scissors. This isn’t anything like that. Or where paper types something on itself and sues scissors.

This isn’t tiddlywinks, where you flip your tiddly over another player’s tiddly and an old man winks at you because he thought it was a good move. This isn’t that at all!

This is not some brightly colored, sugarcoated piece of candy that you can brush the ants off of and pop in your mouth.

This is not something where you can dress your kid up like a hobo and send him out trick-or-treating, because, first of all, your kid’s twenty-three, and, secondly, he really is a hobo.

This isn’t something where you sink a birdie or hit a badminton birdie or do anything at all with birdies. Look, just forget birdies, O.K.?

No, Presidential politics is serious business folks. If the '08 election were a game we could give it to Hillary or Obama or Sanjaya.

Once the election is over we can just sit by the fire, chew some tobacky, toast some marshmackies, and maybe strum a tune on the ole guitacky.

But until then, this is not a game!

So vote Mitt!

Global Warming...revisited

My post about global warming was meant as satire. I wanted to use a little comedy to point out that the earth has only risen in temperature by 0.8 of a degree in the last century. But a recent article by an MIT professor not only agrees with my article, it also debunks the fears proposed by Al Gore.

Richard Lindzen, professor of meteorology, had this to say:

"A warmer climate could prove to be more beneficial than the one we have now. Much of the alarm over climate change is based on ignorance of what is normal for weather and climate. There is no evidence, for instance, that extreme weather events are increasing in any systematic way, according to scientists at the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which released the second part of this year's report earlier this month). Indeed, meteorological theory holds that, outside the tropics, weather in a warming world should be less variable, which might be a good thing."

Climate modelers assume the cause must be greenhouse-gas emissions because they have no other explanation. This is a poor substitute for evidence, and simulation hardly constitutes explanation. Ten years ago climate modelers also couldn't account for the warming that occurred from about 1050 to 1300. They tried to expunge the medieval warm period from the observational record—an effort that is now generally discredited."

Check out this great article!

It just goes to show that I am smarter when I am being silly than Gore is when he is being serious!

MItt Rocks!

Link to article

The Earth is too cold!

The earth is too cold! Brrrrrr.

Florida and California have HUGE populations. Why? Because they are one of the few places that are warm year-round. The rest of us have to freeze for half the year. Have you ever been to Iceland? Probably not...because it just sounds too cold. Actually Greenland is colder than Iceland...but I digress. You see, there is a country that is called "Iceland". Yet, I haven't heard of a country called "boiling-water land"! Why? Because the Earth is cold. There isn't any major continent that is too hot to visit. But this frigid planet has plenty of spots that are too cold. For example: Antarctica. Antarctica is a giant continent that is made of pure ice. No one spends their vacation time in Antarctica...we all flock to the warm places. The Beach Boys sang it well: "Aruba, Jamaica ooo-I wanna take ya".

Everyone wants to live where it's warm. If you were to take the earth and divide it into thirds, you would find that 90% of the world's population live in third that is closest to the equator. It's like the world is standing around a campfire...because the rest of the planet is just too dang cold! What a waste of the other two thirds!

So the greenhouse effect? I'm all for it. Which brings up another point...why do humans even build greenhouses? It's because the air is too cold to produce desirable plants without them! So what are we worried about...that the earth will become a giant greenhouse? That suddenly we all live in Hawai'i? That tropical plants would grow in any climate? We ought to melt all that ice and start to heat things up! Think of it: A GIANT greenhouse! Wouldn't that be great?! The problems of American obesity would be solved because we could all go outside and play year-round! Our gardens would flourish, and Canadians would finally stop the sport of curling! "Bermuda, Bahama...c'mon pretty mama".

Republicans have been trying to warm the earth for years. But in spite of their best efforts, scientists have shown that the earth has only risen in temperature by 0.8 of a degree in the last century. C'mon guys, we can do better than that! Less than one crappy degree in a hundred years!?!

Top Ten Reasons to vote for Mitt Romney

This list was read at our Elders Quorum date-night party on Feb. 10, 2007...and by popular demand...I have posted the following:

Top Ten reasons I hope to have a Mormon President

By David Alvord

10. So that the "National Cathedral" can be renamed the "National Tabernacle"

9. So NASA will comission a satellite to hie to Kolob

8. The Secret Service will be changed to the Sacred Service

7. All official government prayers to include the phrase: "that we all get home safely"

6. So that Napoleon Dynamite's endorsement does more that get Pedro elected

5. To have a President who can not only explain things in Layman's terms but also in Lemuel's terms

4. An exchange of presidential pardons for 100% home teaching

3. Finally a President who can not only pronounce the word "nuclear", but can also say "mahonri-moriancumr" and "maher-shalal-hash-baz"

2. At inauguration he will place his hand on the bible "as far as it is translated correctly"

1. To have a first family large enough to occupy all the rooms of the White House

Who will be held accountable?

As Hillary Clinton tries to redefine herself for the 20th time...I find it necessary to strip down all the spin and packaging. At the heart of any candidate is the one quality that matters most: Character... a quality Ms. Clinton seems to carry in short supply.

One of the most important practices of a leader is to hold people accountable. A leader initiates action and expects results. Real consequences for a lack of performance are necessary for effective leadership. Without follow up, a leader becomes a talking head. While she may hold the office, she does not execute orders effectively...and is a lame duck before the term begins.

When Hillary and Bill Clinton entered into their marriage agreement there were promises made. Fidelity was foremost among them to be sure! When Bill violated the agreement, lied about it, and then violated the marriage contract again and again, Hillary did not Hold him accountable! Marriage is the most important obligation that any of us enter into, and Hillary did not hold her partner accountable when the contract was violated.

How will Hillary hold nations accountable? How will Hillary respond to a nuclear Iran? What would Hillary do in the face of a major terror attack on the United States? If the terrorists bite their lip and wave their thumbs and say "I am truly sorry". Will she be able to muster the character necessary to hold them responsible?

Recently, Hillary has said that she wants to try to "understand" Iran a little better. Has that been her strategy with Bill? Is she trying to "understand" him better? (Read about Mitt Romney's brilliant response to this)

Bill is a cheat, and Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons...it's as simple as that.

I admit that it would have taken tremendous courage for Hillary to leave Bill in the middle of his presidency.

But tremendous courage is just what America needs...

President George

I think that President George had good intentions! I really do. After all, on paper, it sounded good to overthrow a Tyrant and create a democracy. It sounded like a noble war... in theory. But the reality on the ground...and the way that the war was implemented has proven to be a huge mistake! The war did cost us an initial 25,000 lives (American lives)...and then our enemies came back for vengeance and we lost an additional 20,000 Americans! But this was just the beginning of the casualties. You see, the president never resolved the ethnic problems that existed and this eventually led to a civil war that killed 625,000 AMERICANS. Perhaps we were better off with a dictator after all!

Sound familiar?

I am referring, of course, to our first "President George": George Washington. The Revolutionary War cost us 25,000. The Tyrant? The King of England. We fought the British again in the war of 1812...and lost another 20,000. The unresolved ethnic problems? No, I was not referring to the Sunni's and the Shiites...the ethnic problem that our country left unresolved was African slavery. The American civil war cost us over 625,000 souls! see war casualties

The price that was paid for freedom did not come cheap for America!

Why do we think that it should come so easily for the middle-east?

Another President George has courageously faced a growing threat. Terrorists and the states who sponsor terror needed to be answered for the atrocities committed on Sept. 11, 2001. President Bush has led our country to many victories on the war on terror.

I cringe every time I hear that Bush has been a failure in Iraq! A failure?

President Bush defeated Saddam Hussein: a brutal dictator and growing threat to Israel and the whole region: Victory #1

President Bush has successfully transformed Iraq into a democratic government: Victory #2

President Bush has opened hospitals, schools, and restored electricity and provided electricity to places that never had it before: Victory #3

President Bush will establish greater security and freedom to the Iraqis and possibly intervene before a civil war breaks out: Victory #4 (if the democrats don't sabotage it)

I think that the effort in Iraq has been a huge success! I am saddened by the loss of the 3000 Americans. But freedom has always come from sacrifice.

There may be more bloodshed in Iraq. It will eventually be up to the Iraqis to secure their own freedom. If a civil war breaks out...it may be a necessary evil to purge the Iraqis of discord and sectarian rivalry. The United States experienced a civil war...and we came out the better for it in the long run. We shouldn't expect freedom to come easily to the middle-east. Yet, in spite of the sacrifice required, freedom is always worth the cost. Is that not our American heritage?

Borg Queen Hillary may unite America around Mitt

By David Alvord

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Hillary Clinton has announced that she will run for president! I got chills as I watched her make the announcement on the web. But it wasn't warm fuzzy chills...it was more like the chills you get when you are tied to a chair and spiders are crawling up your legs. I remember feeling the same emotion while watching Star Trek; First Contact. In the movie, the "Borg Queen" tries to seduce Capitan Picard...and promises to share her power with him. It was a scene that must have resembled Hillary's marriage proposal to Bill. While Hillary talked about "having a conversation" with the American people, I couldn't help wondering if her next line would be "if not...you will be assimilated". And when it comes to the other democratic challengers, I hate to say it but "resistance is futile".

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We all know that the Clinton's wield enormous political power...and unless the democrats can produce someone more compelling than the junior smokin' senator from Illinois, Hillary is going to get the party nomination. After all, to most democrats, it is Hillary's God-given right to be president. It's her party and she can cry if she wants to! And just like the Borg Queen...conservatives are scared to death of a Hillary presidency! The Republicans will need to nominate someone who can match Hillary's rhetorical prowess. They will need someone who has successfully sailed in liberal waters and knows the democratic play book. They will need that individual who can articulate conservative values in a persuasive and intelligent manner. I can think of no better candidate to take on Hillary than our own Mitt Romney! Hillary Clinton may be the one adversary that will be scary enough to unite all Christians. Baptists united with Catholics. Mormons united with Evangelicals. Is America ready for a Mormon president? If he can defeat Hillary, America may just have room for a Mormon after all!

Evangelicals for Mitt to be praised!

By David Alvord

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

-Pastor Martin Niemöller

Although this poem was written to portray the rise of Nazi Germany, it also has application to religious bigotry.
"Bigot" is often used as a pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to their prejudices even when these views are challenged or proven to be false. And "bigot" is the term I would use for anyone who would rule out a candidate based solely on his religious persuasion.

I have read several articles that proclaim Mitt Romney to be the ideal candidate with just one problem: He's a Mormon. Can this statement reveal anything other than religious discrimination? Such an attitude threatens not only a Mormon candidate, but candidates of any religious persuasion.

Joseph Smith, himself a victim of severe bigotry, said it well:

The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a "Mormon," I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.

And so in that spirit, praise be to the website Evangelicals for Mitt! The founders of that site have looked past their religious differences to add their support to Mitt Romney. I believe that good people of all religions are stronger when united...and weaker when divided. The E.F.M. have not only demonstrated their willingness to support a candidate of any religious persuasion, but they have also picked a man of integrity and one of the most promising candidates of our time.

Mitt's a fundraising maniac!

Mitt has raised 6.5 million in his first day of fundraising! This represents the largest haul of any candidate since the passage of campaign finance reform!

Check out the link: Romney's big day

And just how does this compare to Rudy and McCain?

The figure dwarfed the money raised so far by two GOP stars leading the 2008 speculation, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
McCain has raised $2 million while Giuliani has picked up $1 million. Like Romney, both have created 2008 exploratory committees. Link to article

Anyone familiar with modern presidential politics will tell you that he who raises the most money the earliest will get the national spotlight. All the more reason to be optimistic for Mitt's campaign!