Mormon Bloggers

Steve, my brother-in-law, and one of my best friends from my time at Brigham Young University shared with me today an article about Mormon expatriates. But before I could read it I was distracted by two addresses that were given at a forum at BYU on October 10th, 2006. The first by President Boyd K. Packer, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a special introduction to the second address by Dr. Alwi Shihab, then Indonesian Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy to the Middle East. These two great leaders spoke on the need to build bridges of understanding between the West and Islam. I was able to attend this special forum assembly and was greatly impressed by the messages that President Packer and Dr. Shihab delivered. I was happy to review their words today, exactly four years since they were given. I share with you a few of their remarks. From President Packer: “Ahead of us, indeed already all around us, is the world of Islam. Christianity and Islam... Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, as I was walking into the University of Hawaii Campus Center, I overheard a snippet of two guys’ conversation. In reply to something the one said that I didn’t hear, the other said, “I’m not homeless! How many homeless people do you see who wear Guess jeans and American Apparel?” I cannot comment on what he said relative to its actual context. But he said it with so much sneering disdain in his voice that it seemed clear that he considered himself much higher in class than any of the ubiquitous Honolulu homeless. And all because he was wearing expensive clothes. True, Mark Twain did once say, “Clothes make the man,” but he qualified his comment by continuing, “Naked people have little or no influence on society.” It’s the covering of our bodies that’s important, not the cost of that covering. I’m reminded of Paul’s first epistle to Timothy wherein he gave this sage advice, “We brought nothing... Read the rest of this entry »

In the news, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are advocating taxing foods like pizza and soda pop in an effort to decrease obesity among Americans. Given my education in the exercise and nutritional sciences one would think I’d be turning cartwheels at such a brilliant suggestion by such esteemed scientists. Far from turning cartwheels, however, instead I’m shaking my head at the latest manifestation of scientist advocated intrusion into our personal lives. Apparently, these scientists and the lawmakers that buy into their tax-fat rhetoric have little to no faith in Americans’ ability to face and overcome the growing obesity-related problems in the way they have overcome problems for over two hundred years: by hard work and the grace of God. Whatever happened to that indomitable American spirit which enabled our forefathers and foremothers to break free from monarchical tyranny and establish a new nation, abolish the barbarism of slavery,... Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Mr. Gore, I watched your film, An Inconvenient Truth. It was interesting, though I couldn’t tell if the movie was about global warming or about you. My wife said that the inclusion of your personal story was probably an attempt at connecting with Joe Publics like me. Frankly, I didn’t think we connected very much at all. In truth, you and I do have some things in common. We’re both guys. We’re also both white. And we’re both married. In high school we both played on the varsity football team and threw for the track and field team. But that’s about where our similarities end. You see, Mr. Gore, you are old, I am young. You are famous, I am not. You are rich, and, by governmental standards, I am poor. You have at least one car, I have none. You own at least one house with at least 20 rooms. I rent a two bedroom apartment. You probably have air-conditioning; we do not. You probably keep your hot water heater on all day and all night. To save money, we only turn ours on for... Read the rest of this entry »

I am having trouble staying silent on the current loud and rowdy health reform argument (I haven’t really seen much debate), then again, I haven’t been silent.  Here is a repost of my position, first published in February 2008, layed out as clearly as I can make it. ———————————————————————————————–      For over 20 years our country and its undying commitment to capitalism have tried desperately to slow mushrooming healthcare costs, and failed miserably. HMOs, Capitation, things that business was confident would succeed where those fiscally incompetent doctors failed, fell flat. Patients, it seems, did not tolerate their health and well-being treated as a business. I suppose business was part of the problem. After during WWII, with wages fixes and worker shortage, jobs starting... Read the rest of this entry »