A Tribute to Thomas S. Monson

The Salt Lake City International Airport is an interesting place. So many people go through there each with his/her own story. It's been years since I flew on a plane, but I used to do it often when I was in school. On one occasion I was coming or going from Colorado or Virginia (I can't remember what the occasion was exactly), and there was Elder Thomas S. Monson going somewhere. He saw that I recognized him and smiled and nodded at me. I appreciated that, very kind of him.


After eight years of his presidency, I am finally getting his biography read so that I can add it to my list. (I've read the biography of each prophet since Spencer W. Kimball.) In the reading, I discovered two other times our paths have "crossed." First, he became chairman of the Missionary Executive Committee in 1976, and was the one who decided where I would serve in 1977. It was Spencer W. Kimball who signed the letter, but Elder Monson made the decision. And second, he, along with Pres. Eyring and Pres. Uchtdorf, granted my sealing clearance and sent a letter wishing me well.


I found the book difficult to read. I think I read everything twice just to grasp what was going on. Perhaps my mind really wasn't focused on it, but also, I think it could have been written with a little more care, and the quantity of information included seemed astronomical.


The section I found most interesting was his work in Germany in the aftermath of WWII beginning in 1962. Germany had been divided by the victors into four military zones, occupied by American, British, French, and Russian armies. Quickly, the US, England and France had begun to rebuild the shattered economy of "their" Germany. Russia, on the other hand, isolated its portion and established a police state where censorship and travel restrictions set back recovery efforts for half a century. Also, the city of Berlin, located deep in the Soviet Zone, had, like Germany itself, been divided into four sectors under the four military powers. The American, English, and French sectors became known as West Berlin; the Soviet sector became known as East Berlin.


On the morning of August 13, 1961, West Berliners awoke to find a barbed-wire wall encircling their side of the city, with armed guards lined up along it to "protect" the citizens of the Soviet Zone, now the GDR, from Western influences. Communications and travel were shut down as well. That September, Erich Honecker, a tough Communist who had scrambled to authority after the war, directed the construction of miles of concrete that became known as the Berlin Wall.


Churches were faced with punitive practices by the government, designed to discourage religious activity. The intent was to supplant Christianity with Socialist dogma and practices. The GDR granted the right to exist --unlike in other Communist countries -- but made religious practice very difficult and always suspect. There could be no missionary activity, no religious materials, and no entry to universities nor advancement in the workplace to any citizen demonstrating religious inclinations.


Germany, had long been a stronghold for the Church. It was one of the most productive areas of membership growth in the Church. Some of the Church's German branches that now fell in the Soviet Zone had first been established before many in the newly settled communities in Utah. Those who were able, hundreds of thousands of East Germans, fled to other nations during those first years after the war. Fully a fifth of the population got out. President David O. McKay had traveled to West Berlin in 1952, and 1,300 members had been allowed to cross over from the East Zone to hear him speak, some selling the little they had to make the trip. The day after, the GDR government refused to allow East German citizens to visit. On another occasion, Elder Spencer W. Kimball spoke of his "glorious vision" of what would happen if the members stayed in Germany and did their part "unselfishly to rebuild the great kingdom." Many did stay in the Zone "because of the words of the prophets."


The Berlin Wall went up in 1961, and no General Authority had attempted to visit the Soviet Zone in Germany since then. In 1968, and "trusting in the Lord," Elder Monson decided he would be the one to make that visit. He visited behind the Berlin Wall several times, every time asking permission and giving explanation of intent, as required. Never were rules broken; always protocols were followed. The GDR leaders were not used to their rules being honored by religions. Elder Russell M. Nelson would later call it, "disarming." Eventually, a mission was formed out of already existing members as no one could pass behind the Wall very often. Little by little progress was made as members, Elder Monson, and other leadership slowly but gently moved things forward. Elder Monson dedicated the country blessing the people with everything that any other member could hope for, returned home and was concerned about how it all would come to pass. Elder Uchtdorf said he kept track of the fulfillment of each blessing.


Eventually, the request to build a temple behind the Wall was made to the GDR government leaders. They did not deny the request, so Elder Monson proceeded forward. In 1985 the Freiberg, Germany temple was dedicated and thousands came to the open house. In October of 1988 in the GDR to
dedicate the first stake center in Dresden, government leaders of the GDR hosted a dinner for Elder Monson and other Church leaders. At another meeting held after the dedication a few days later between GDR government leaders and invited Church leaders, (I picture Satan across the table from Christ) one of the leaders, the State Secretary of Religious Affairs, confided, "I know you; I trust you. You and I can speak honestly as friends. I believe some of the same principles you believe (he commented about his wife and marriage), and if I were joining a church today, I would join your church." He also said that the meeting was one "of complete agreement on the basic ideology of life." Another leader contributed, "We and your church are dependent upon great human ideals. These included the protection of life...the surety of peace...good and honest work...the strengthening of homeland...freedom of family...raising children. These will be important to society in the future." Herr Honecker, one of the most feared leaders of the Communist world, said that his people also advocated the strength of the family. He said that he had observed Elder Monson and the Church's activities for many years and had seen that the Church taught its members to obey and sustain the law of the land, that it emphasized the family, and the Church members were ideal citizens. At this same meeting, permission was granted to allow missionaries to leave their country as well as to enter their country. The first missionaries to accomplish this were sent in March and May of 1989.


President Reagan gave his landmark speech with the phrase, "Pres. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" in 1987. Then, in November 1989 news reports indicated a demand for the Berlin Wall to come down, and the Church received word privately that Chairman Honecker would be stepping down that week.


Some other interesting points were these:


1. While working at Deseret Book as classified advertising manager, he applied what he called "Wisdom's Seven Watchwords: Vision, Patience, Balance, Effort, Understanding, Courtesy, and Love." Also, his philosophy was: "You can live with yourself if you treat people the way you would like to be treated." and "Cherish associations with others. I have learned everyone can teach me something. I love to learn something from each person with whom I associate."


2. He always had time for "the one." "The great thing, Eliza, (from My Fair Lady) is not having bad manners or good manners or any particular set of manners, but having the same manners for all human souls; in short, behaving as if you were in heaven, where there are no third-class carriages and where one soul is as good as another." "Have the courage to refrain from judging and criticizing those around you, as well as the courage to make certain everyone is included and feels loved and valued."


3. A talk on 'Meeting Your Goliath.'


4. His leadership style has always been to encourage expression of opinion and counsel, whether those ideas mirrored his thinking or not. As Church President, he has been known to say, "You don't help me," when committee members have withheld opinions on a pressing matter. Those who have worked at his side agree he is very open to counsel. "He wants it absolutely straight," they say, and has little patience for those in the room who wait to see what is the "right way" to come out on a particular issue.


5. I like this quote that he took from Robert Louis Stevenson, who best summed up an attitude toward our daily occupations when he declared: "I know what real pleasure is, for I have done good work."


6. I marveled at the events that led up to and culminated in a meeting between GDR and civic officials and Church leaders wherein the GDR leaders stated that the two groups were in "complete agreement on the basic ideology of life." As I read this entry, I thought of Satan and followers on one side of the table, and Christ and his followers on the other.


7. During his presidency, Ronald Reagan asked for advice and counsel from Elder Monson and others to solve a particularly vexing problem that, he said, "has weighed heavily on me." What he hoped for was a "resurgence of the American spirit of generosity," an unprecedented outpouring of good deeds. He hoped the task force could help realize that vision.


8. Thinking I was being indulgent when I asked for a third blessing over a period of two months, I was relieved when I read "two of his physicians had administered to him when he first entered the hospital. President Hinckley had also done so on his visit a few days later. President Hinckley and Elder Wirthlin administered to him on yet another occasion. President Monson had unquestioning faith that he would get well."


9. Considering who to vote for for this 2016 election, I've wondered if we could find someone else, and I saw that "One year, during a highly contested campaign for the post of governor of the state of Utah, President Monson, a serious-minded citizen, had asked Frances which candidate she had chosen at the polls. She replied, "I didn't vote for either candidate. They promised too much for any man to deliver." He looked at her and said, "What did you do? Leave it blank?" She said, "Why no, of course not. I wrote in the name of Howard W. Hunter. He is so modest, so humble; surely he is the type of man Heavenly Father would guide to success."


10. No man was better prepared to engage the Church in such a concerted effort to reach out to those facing the loneliness of the self-absorbed, self-centered cultures of today. President Monson lives by the creed he teaches, He has said many times: the five most important words in the English language are "I am proud of you." The four most important are "What is your opinion?" The three most important are "If you please." The two most important are "Thank you." The least important is "I."


11. Something in which I need to make a more concerted effort...  He has admonished the members to "acquire the language of the Spirit. It is not learned from textbooks written by men, nor is it acquired through reading and memorization. The language of the Spirit comes to him who seeks with all his heart to know God and keep His divine commandments. Proficiency in this 'language' permits one to breach barriers, overcome obstacles, and touch the human heart."


12. I found this interesting as a perspective on decision making. "He can hear from God and does hear from God," President Henry B. Eyring has observed. "He makes decisions in the most interesting way. He does his homework. He ponders and prays a long time. In other words, he doesn't shoot off quickly. He is not predisposed to a particular direction or decision until he decides it is right. But I'll tell you there will come a moment, usually after a lot of hard work--he does charts, he reads minutes, he asks for lots of opinions, he ponders and prays a long time--and then, very interesting, he's all settled." He exhibits this underlying confidence that things will sort out; they always have and always will  because the Lord's hand is in it." He takes counsel from those who work closely with him. He sincerely wants to hear other views and perspectives and have meaningful discussions, usually before divulging his own opinion. "He wants your opinion, but he is very, very good at telling what your motives are. So if you shade anything for him at all, he sees it. If you hedge, he will say nicely but with a smile, 'But you don't help me. You don't help me.' He wants it absolutely straight. Most people like to win arguments. He likes to get to the truth. He is very interesting that way, very rare." "I have simply put my faith and trust in Him and moved along day by day and week by week." "Reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," he has said. "He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of our Salvation. He beckons, 'Follow me.' He instructs, 'Go, and do thou likewise.' He pleads, 'Keep my commandments.' Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude."


13. Since this applied to me, I took note of it. "Marriages start out happy," President Monson explains. "And then people don't get along, and the pattern for the Church is that the President will be the ultimate determiner of whether the cancellation of sealing should be approved or not. Some circumstances are tragic. These are hard decisions."


My overall impression was of the "greatness" of this man and his ability to love the individual even in such a high-profile position. At a time when many are claiming the Church doesn't care about certain groups of people with different opinions and physical problems, President Monson is the epitome of "caring." He is truly the one to show all of us how to express love for our "neighbor" regardless of their circumstances.


Also, I was looking over the group who make up the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, and I think he is the last of an era. He is, in a sense, a transitional apostle, being in that position since 1963, and the next apostle was ordained in 1984.

Political Views

The political world has changed so drastically over the past few years that it's difficult to make sense of it. Some would say it hasn't been in the past few years, rather reshaping has been going on for a century, and I can see their point, but I have always voted Republican because I could get behind their platform, not so much the candidate, but in more recent years, supporting a certain candidate leaves confusion as to a specific belief system because of the amount of rumors, lies, and flip flops. So, I have decided to state my position on the issues rather than to declare who or what party I support.

Defense - I think the main purpose of the national government is to provide protection from outside threats. In other words, I think a strong military should always be ready to defend at a moment's notice. While it would be nice, it is very naïve and idealistic to think that we could disarm ourselves and then expect every nation to deal peaceably with the US. Alma 43:45-47. D&C 134:11.

Immigration - The problem of immigration falls under the responsibility of the national government to provide safety for all citizens. I am okay with anyone coming to this country, however, I would prefer that they not be murderers and criminals. There should be a record of everyone who comes into the US just as the government has information on me. I have heard that the process to citizenship is expensive and difficult, but it is the law, and it should be enforced for everyone. If this law is not good, then it should be changed. Until then, it needs to be enforced. The problem of so many undocumented citizens being here in the US is a problem of the individuals and their families for breaking the law and the national government for allowing them to break the law, and if they want to stay, they need to be made legal by following the law.

Health Insurance - I was disappointed when Obamacare was passed into law in March 2010. Before that event happened, I had done a bit of research about the health insurance industry. I wondered why there were issues that the insurance companies could not resolve, yet the federal government was going to fix. I started my research by looking under "health insurance" in Wikipedia. I found that there was an organization that set industry standards and was regulated by the federal government. It's possible that it was called the HIAA - Health Insurance Association of America. I first found it under the subject of "health insurance" in Wikipedia, and it was mentioned as an integral part of the industry. I have recently looked again for this information on the internet, and it is no longer there. So, the history mentioned under "health insurance" that is there now is incomplete, has been changed, or is being covered up. How can history be changed? You hear mention of this type of thing happening, and now I have seen it firsthand.

The issues that were going to be resolved were: pre-existing conditions, health insurance for the self-employed and poor, etc. First, just as easily as the federal government has allowed for pre-existing conditions, the HIAA, the regulatory agent, could have allowed it for the industry. Next, I was skeptical that the federal government could do a better job with health insurance for the poor, especially since they already had a program called Medicaid and CHIP, both of which I had benefited from. Early on, 1994, Medicaid was excellent, provided full coverage for everything with little required remuneration ($25/month). I remember getting full payment for hospital bills for Jay's birth as well as new glasses and dental work for myself from excellent doctors. Again, in 2000 we had Medicaid, this time it was difficult to find a dentist who would honor it. Finally, I found one and took one of my children to him to fill some cavities because the dentist I liked, Dr. Gailey, wouldn't take Medicaid. I walked into his office and the wood flooring was buckled from water damage. The teeth were filled with an amalgam, the cheapest way to fill teeth, and a couple years later the fillings had to be redone because they were done so poorly. Medical doctors could not be found who honored Medicaid for other types of ailments. I had to call many places to find help. Also, when I started working at SIPRelay in 2008, the callers mentioned having problems finding doctors to honor Medicaid. The complaints about VA benefits, government run health insurance for war veterans, were similar.

For the past six years every Republican candidate has used the talking point to "repeal and replace Obamacare" as part of their election platform. Voting to repeal it has taken place many times in the Congress. However, the Act has just become more cemented into our society. I wonder if there have ever been laws that were repealed. I know that even in the Old Testament a law that was passed could not be repealed, and the people and even king had to make a law to counter what law they didn't want to live. That is exactly what will be required for us. The Congress needs to start making laws to counter the train wreck of a law that is Obamacare, which I believe has already happened in the problem of financing it.

The health industry gradually has been becoming government run over a long period of time, and it is doubtful if we could put a halt to that significantly, but it should have always stayed within the capitalistic system and stayed within the hands of the doctors. Greed made costs go up and pushed it into the hands of insurance companies, and somehow big business, everyone's employer, was given the burden of paying for it. Insurance should never have been placed under the responsibility of business, but these things have become reified traditions that probably will never change. It was an easy jump to go from the insurance companies to the government.

Constitution - increasingly, presidents are bypassing the constitution to make laws. It's the only way Pres. Obama has operated. Yes, it takes time to create and pass laws, many say too long, but that is the beauty of the constitution in that it allows plenty of time to sift through facts, opinions, and to weigh all sides of an argument. Each one of the amendments is valid for any society and time period and should be safeguarded.

Gun Control – I don’t own a gun, nor have I ever considered it. I can also understand that we would want to stop murders, but if guns were banned, people would find different ways to commit murder. The argument that the guns are causing murders is the age-old argument that an inanimate object has culpability, which I will never agree with. I can understand the arguments of those who support the 2^nd amendment, and I think the populace should be able to defend themselves from outside intruders as well as the federal government, if need be, as it encroaches more and more on our rights. It is ridiculous to think that the government should take care of each person. That is logistically impossible.

Education – Education has gone full circle. Up until 1850 private schools, tutors, and home schooling were the norm. Eventually, reformers organized education to be managed by the states. Then, more recently the federal government offered financial help. Always when someone or something contributes money to a project, they can have a say in how it is run. And that is what has happened. I have seen education change during my lifetime to follow ideologies of progressive thought. For example, the English language is taught in such a strange way. Students aren't learning how to write. For book reports, students can choose to make a poster, draw a character, or write a letter to someone about the book they read. This was going on even in high school. Also, history has been rewritten to cover up social issues of the time rather than reflect actual events, and the points of view of progressivism and liberalism are taught everywhere. Another thing that bothers me is how students are not required to memorize, but "fun" is what school should be all the time. Trust me, I was just as surprised to hear the principal of the school where I was working say that. Changes to the way things are done today will have to start with rejecting the funding provided by the federal government, but that is not happening fast enough causing private schools and home schooling to become prevalent once again.

Abortion – I believe what the LDS church says about abortion.

Terrorism – this subject falls under protection by the federal government, and especially if they are not going to do anything about it, we need to be able to protect ourselves. We have had plenty of infringements, and therefore, it is our right to defend ourselves. The fact that the federal government is not addressing all the terrorism inside the US is Pres. Obama's attempt to get us used to terrorism or chaos around us, and it is working.

Economics – the federal government should stay out of business. They do not sell a product or service, and therefore, they do not have the money to back business. The only money they have is acquired by taxation. Every attempt should be made to keep business in the hands of the people, and people/businesses need to stop going to the government to resolve differences and problems. Yes, people may fail in their business management, but it is up to the people to deal with the consequences of their failures, not the federal government. Dealing with the consequences may involve restructuring of the business, educating on better business practices, kick starting the marketing of the product, tweaking the product to keep up with the times, or, and alas, dissolving the business. Bailing out big business puts the business in the hands of the government, allowing it to monitor and control the business and our buying power. Capitalism is a good thing. It gives people the freedom to do what they want in as devoted a manner as they are inclined. It makes people be decent to each other so that business will thrive. Yes, there will be inequalities, but we should never be working to get rid of inequalities. Inequalities are a result of differences in humans, and trying to make everyone the same is what Lucifer was trying to do. People’s choices reflect differences. The government needs to avoid regulation and taxation to allow business to thrive and ebb and flow as it will. Whenever I hear that a candidate wants to help the economy, I want to say, "stay out of it." Socialism/progressivism/communism are not acceptable solutions to the problems of economics. Distribution of wealth by the federal government is a very dangerous condition which takes away freedom. The evidence against these types of governments can be found in every country that has involved themselves in them. As Cleon Skousen said, "Capitalism has proven to be able to distribute wealth more equitably." It is not a perfect system, but it does allow us to choose how much wealth we want depending on how hard we want to work to seek out information and to get training and to get anything else that is necessary, whereas these other governments take away freedom of choice.

Empty Nester - Not Quite

My daughter told me the other day about some birds, a mommy and a daddy, that have set up house on one of her security cameras. Last year the birds, a couple of barn swallows that mate for life, built a nest and have gone ahead to parent families - three sets so far. Usually three eggs are hatched each set. The parents feed the babies until they are older and stronger, both working equally to take care of them. The babies practice flapping their wings in preparation for flight, and when the time comes for them to leave the nest, the parents encourage them and watch them leave. Some birds have fallen from the nest before they could fly and died, being eaten by ants. Others have flown off to be caught and eaten by cats. Always the parents mourn the loss of their young for an entire day with a racket of noise, and then they get back to the work of taking care of life. About half of the birds have flown off to live productive lives, to mate, and to again parent broods. When it is time for the birds to leave, the parents stop feeding them, thus, forcing their young to fly out of the nest, find food for themselves, and basically take care of themselves. The most recent brood was found with one dead that had fallen out of the nest before it knew how to fly, a second that flew out and lived, and a third that refused to leave. Because the third was not being fed by its parents or willing to find food for itself, it died. The parents mourned the loss of that bird as well. They are still trying to get the dead bird out of the nest so they can begin a fourth family.

The Bird that Died to Stay

   or

    The Bird that Wouldn't Leave

The Beauty of the Government of the United States and its effects on the present election

We had a Sunday School lesson the other day about governments. The teacher wrote on the board several types of governments: monarchy, democracy, and theocracy. With those terms we chronicled the government types through biblical and Book of Mormon times. Most governments were theocracies with prophet leaders or monarchies with kings. A couple times there was a kritarchy, which is rule by judges, during the time of Judges in the Bible and Book of Mormon. The teacher decided that a monarchy with a king is the best form of government because Christ will establish His kingdom on earth, and He will be king. I had not before considered a monarchy to be the ideal form of government, but I could see how he came up with that idea. Most monarchies today are useless vehicles for propaganda, or they turn the country toward tyranny. Finding a king that is righteous is difficult; finding a king that stays righteous seems impossible. The Book of Mormon warned of wicked kings in Mosiah 29 when the people were encouraged to appoint righteous men as judges. The reason the monarchy will work when Christ comes for the second time is that He will be righteous.

According to the book "The 5000 Year Leap" by Cleon Skousen, which I read a few years ago, the Founding Fathers of our country knew the benefits of each type of government. The also knew the disadvantages. For example, the strength of a monarchy is its ability to immediately without debate decide an issue by the one person in charge, the king or queen, while a disadvantage is its tendency for that king to turn into a tyrant. The strength of a theocracy is to be led by principles based on the religion of the people. A disadvantage would be that the religion may not be agreeable to everyone. The strength of a democracy is that every person would have a say. A disadvantage could be that not everyone would care or choose wisely. The strength of an oligarchy, leadership by an elite few, is the furthering of invention and ideas, while the disadvantage could be disregarding the poor.

Without the hope of a righteous leader such as Christ, the Founding Fathers put together a constitution with all governments in mind, an idea that I found very interesting. They hoped to tap into the benefits of each one while creating checks and balances to temper the disadvantages. The Executive branch mimics the benefit of a monarchy. The Legislative branch with its two Congresses mimics the oligarchy of the Senate and the democracy of the House.

When one branch of the government is not checked, the negative aspects of the government it mimics become more prominent. We have seen a lot of overreach of branches of government during the reign of Obama, particularly from the executive branch. He has passed many laws or mandates without following constitutional procedure, and therefore, the monarchy, which his position represents, has been looking a little tyrannical.

Another facet of the constitution and government of the United States is the position of federalism. Besides the national center of our government in Washington, D.C., we have an important states presence. In other words, every state has power and rights. Federal by definition means "of or constituting a form of government in which sovereign power is divided between a central authority and a number of constituent political units." That the national government is gaining power over the federal states, overturning laws passed by the states, and meddling in responsibilities that belong to the states, shows more overreach and disregard for the processes of the constitution.

In 2008 we voted in Obama and a Democratic Congress, who gave us Obamacare, a program that put the financial state of the nation in jeopardy. In 2010 we voted in a Republican House. In 2012 we voted to keep Obama and the Republican House, and we voted in a Republican Senate as well as a majority of Republican governors. 2014 brought more and stronger representation in both Congresses by Republicans. At this present time, still no one can stop Obama's tyranny or get any responsible legislation passed despite all the Republican presence in his disfavor. Therefore, all the work the voters had done to secure more "reasonable" thinking in Washington, DC, has not been of any benefit. What was going on in Washington, DC? When Trump began running for President of the U.S. and began gaining support, I marveled. Upon consideration, I wondered if it was that the people wanted someone who wasn't already part of the political scene. After all that had been done to improve Washington, the next move, therefore, should be to get someone in as president who does not know or play into the system. If this was their thinking, I could see their point as well as the madness of it all. That someone has been thought to be in the person of Trump. However, when he met with Paul Ryan to come to some kind of consensus of thought for the benefit of the establishment, I was disappointed for all the people who were looking to Trump to change what is happening in Washington. The people were wanting something different, and now he was being drawn into the "game."

No, I have not yet become a supporter of Trump. However, I have wondered at the events that have accompanied his rise to popularity. I listen to his simplistic, broad view rhetoric, and I understand how he is attracting supporters, but I have trouble believing him now and ignoring what he has said and done for many years before this point. Nor can I see Trump "patiently" following constitutional law. There are many things that I would like to see changed immediately, but constant executive orders cannot be the means. I also expect his antics to overthrow his chances. Yes, I agree with many of the things Trump is preaching; after all, they are broad view talking points. I cannot in any way get behind Hillary Clinton in anything she says.

Our country faces an important crossroads. Will we go in the direction it is being coerced, or will we find a way to turn back toward the constitution, upon which our government is based and which our Heavenly Father endorsed in D&C 101?

That was 2016 when I wrote that.  Now six years later much has happened.  During the months leading up to the 2016 election in November I resolved to vote for Trump.  Every time I listened to him the Holy Ghost said to me that what he was saying was good.  Where I was ambivalent was whether he would actually do what he was saying.  I guess that's the qualm about every candidate.  So, as history shows, Trump won.  My sons and I were sitting on my bed watching the election results come in; we sat in disbelief. The media and the polls had reported that Hillary would be winning.  We had intended to watch Trump lose, and when he won, we wondered how.  

The next day I felt lighter, that we weren't going to be under the rule of the corrupt Hillary Clinton. I also felt like I had better keep it quiet that I voted for Trump because riots and protests began immediately. The citizenry feared reprisal for voting for Trump.  He met with Obama to effectuate a smooth transition, met with the transition team, learning all that he needed to know, including classified information. On January 20, he was inaugurated.  He put his hand on a Bible and swore to uphold the constitution and protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  

His speech seemed to be calling out groups who were undermining America, which some news media felt was not appropriate for an inauguration address.  Years later I realized that he was stating what his focus was going to be.  He said, among other things, "Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

"For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

"What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."

He said many other things, which can be read  here  or listened to  here  .

At the time of this inauguration I was teaching one of my United States Music and Culture classes at SLCC.  I made my class listen to this speech.  I didn't pay attention to any of what he said because I was looking at the reactions of the students in my class, and they didn't seem to care one way or another.  After that speech we watched as Trump changed the course of history. He stopped terrorists from the Middle East from entering our country by putting a travel ban in place.  Many families were not allowed to leave or enter America to see their families, but terrorism ended. The porous border situation was fixed because Trump made Mexico stop them, thus stopping immigrants from entering the US. We gained oil independence. He gave the military renewed respect. He adjusted the tariffs to do business with other nations. He got rid of the penalty for not having health insurance. There were many other things he fixed.  By the time of his re-election and actually much before, I was convinced he was trying to do some good things.  

All the while the politicians in Washington, D.C. and media were trying to stop what he was doing.  They started impeachment proceedings because it was alleged that he worked with Russia to get himself elected. For years we heard about Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. Finally, that was put to bed.  Then, it became a phone call he made to Ukraine about Biden's involvement there, and impeachment proceedings began on that.  He was found not guilty by February 2020, and all allegations were dropped.  

That's when the pandemic happened.  News of a killer virus from China put fear in the hearts of everyone.  Italy was hit hard.  Then, New York was hit and they took steps to make everyone safe.  Eventually, it arrived in Summit County and Salt Lake County.  Finally, on March 13, everything in Utah was shut down.  Governor Gary Herbert mandated that all non-essential employees be quarantined so that the virus would be stopped, so that no one would be around anyone who had it.  We were forced to wear masks and social distance, which meant to stay six feet away from people.  Businesses adapted to the mandates by sticking signs on the floors, indicating which direction a person could walk and where to stand.  Trump was on TV every night with health officials helping us through it.  He gave everyone a stimulus to compensate for loss of income.  The quarantine was supposed to last two weeks, but it didn't.  It lasted months, and in some states years. 

I was fearful. At Sorenson I tried to not touch anything.  When I returned home I stripped in the garage. At home I cleaned my piano keys and knobs and handles religiously from entering piano students.  Finally, Sorenson let me work from home, and I was happy to be safe from danger.  In Utah the medical board ordered $800,000 of hydroxychloroquine to give to the infected.  However, Governor Herbert had them send it back because it wasn't safe to use and wasn't effective in stopping the spread of the infection.  That's when I started questioning things.  What?  This virus is unknown to us, and without even trying anything we know what does and doesn't work?  We should have been able to throw anything and everything at this "unknown" germ.  Groups started rising up to protest the mandates.

States were preparing for the 2020 presidential election and began pushing for mail-in voting so that no one had to come in contact with anyone.  November 3 came, election day, Trump had a majority of votes, but six states held back their final results.  (Since all 50 states were using mail-in voting as the main way to vote, all 50 states should not have had results until days later.)  I watched as the majority vote changed to Biden.  Trump called for recounts, and the news stopped reporting, so I began looking other places for information.  I turned to FaceBook, MeWe, and others, including Twitter, which allowed me to read but not post, and there was a certain poster, recommended by someone else, that I began to follow.  He had interesting information.  One thing in particular was a video about a woman who had worked for Merck but quit because of their unethical practices.  She began speaking out about the company, their vaccines and medicines, and began receiving death threats.  Interestingly enough, she was found dead a week before the vaccine rolled out in early December.  

Since I hadn't had a vaccine since 1961, I knew I would be abstaining.  Nor did I find it necessary to continually get tested. Some people were doing it weekly.  I was like, "Sorry, I'm not participating in this pandemic." Never have I ever had a flu-like sickness and needed to go to the doctor about it.  I have just treated myself at home with natural remedies. Why should this be any different?  Hospitals and doctors, for that matter, were telling people that if they had symptoms to stay home. I marveled at how the medical industry was turning the sick away.

That person I had been following disappeared.  So, I found Telegram, and the group I had joined, UCA, also began posting on Telegram.  I also found Epoch Times.  They weren't posting about the election until about January of 2021, so I found many other sources, American Media Periscope, and many others. Also, The Gateway Pundit, was excellent.  

Concerning the election, I watched numerous videos of election officials turning poll watchers away, and generally, treating them like chattel. Yes, some were corralled into a fenced area. I watched a video of Ruby Freeman and her daughter and others in the Georgia-Atlanta precinct take buckets of ballots out from under a desk, after all other workers and watchers were forced to leave, and run them and rerun them multiple times through tabulators. I saw a video of polling numbers in Pennsylvania that changed several thousands of votes from Trump to Biden and another that changed the votes by 666. I watched every Senate hearing, run by Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, on the alleged fraudulent election of 2020.  Poll watchers, voters, statisticians, election specialists testified of personal experiences and inconsistencies. I especially was impressed by Doug Mastriano, a member of the Senate in Pennsylvania, who personally organized the event and who was somewhat emotional about the situation. Georgia was a mess from beginning to end:  Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger.  Here are some of the hearings:

Pennsylvania

Georgia

Arizona

Michigan

Wisconsin 

Absolute Proof 

2000 Mules 

As December 14 approached, I thought surely something would be done.  Surely everyone can see the fraud.  December 14 came and went, the day the electors would certify their state elections, and they elected Biden. The LDS church congratulated Joe Biden as the new president-elect.  It was disconcerting.  Surely they were aware of the evidence.  People on Facebook commented their aggravation; eventually someone mentioned that it was just protocol for the church to do so. 

January 6 approached, and everyone thought it would be the day when everything would be put right.  Trump had his "Stop the Steal" rally, and then encouraged everyone to walk peacefully over to the Capitol building to protest there.  However, people were not peaceful. I watched videos of people being allowed into the Capitol by the Capitol Police; also, videos of people smashing in windows, videos of a woman by the name of Ashli Babbitt who was shot. Those videos of Ashli Babbitt were taken by Jayden X, aka John Sullivan, an Antifa member who had protested in Utah and Salt Lake counties. He was wearing a MAGA hat, but I knew he was not a Trump supporter. I knew this because UCA, the group I was a member of, had kept him in their sights.  I knew what he looked like.  He videotaped the shooting, and in his voice you could hear his shock. I'm sure he had been hired to attend the event, videotape a group of people entering the Senate floor and various other things.  He just hadn't been told that someone would be shot. I saw her being shot. I saw her body involuntarily contort in shock.  I saw the police and security officers helping her, but they had no idea what to do for her.  I realized they were not real police, probably Antifa dressed up as police.  I read that John Sullivan had been arrested and released that day. 

Since then more information came out about what happened that day.  Three other people died, and others were hurt.  Also, since that day, several people who attended the event have been in jail, now going on two years. Some never even walked into the Capitol. Antifa protesters who created millions of dollars of damage the summer before have hardly spent any time in jail, most on a catch and release basis.  Antifa  

Here are a couple of videos about January 6, 2021.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-real-story-of-jan-6-documentary_4596670.html

https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-real-story-of-january-6-2_4632943.html?

Since January 6 didn't bring the desired results, we all watched as January 20, Inauguration Day, approached.  How was this all going to shake out?  (Brazil had an election on October 30, 2022, which was fraudulent as well. I began following a Telegram thread that contained information about Patriots who were protesting and hoping to overturn those results prior to the January 1, 2023, Inauguration. Unfortunately, nothing happened, and as the day approached and I read the comments of the Brazilian people, I realized the same thing was going to happen there. I felt like I was reliving the events of the 2020 US election.)

Life has gone on, and many think that life eventually returned to normal, but everything changed for me.  In the time that I had been searching for information about the election, I came across a lot of other information.  I learned how deeply the world has succumbed to wickedness.

Tithing Tales - IV

In April 2001 I had been praying to find a way to purchase car insurance because I don't like driving around being illegal. Finding out that I did the taxes in our house, Grandpa Shelton, out of the blue, asked me to do his taxes. He thought he would rather pay me (he never did it again, however) than his tax preparer. Having only done my own provided very limited experience, but I agreed to do it. He offered me $150 which is what he would have paid the tax preparer, H&R Block. In the meantime, I called around looking for car insurance and found a very helpful gentleman with Allstate. (I've noticed the people the Lord sends me are very kind.) For the least amount of coverage, liability only, just to be legal, he quoted me $175. I decided I could try to come up with an extra $25 by purchasing less food. When I went to their office, they printed out the policy and registration papers and were happy to tell me that the price came in lower at $157.38.  Wow, exactly what I had!

Fame and Fortune

The music business is a complex structure. There are five interdependent parts: the publisher, the songwriter, recording artist, the producer, and the record label.


The music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through an agreement called a publishing contract, a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses compositions, helps monitor where compositions are used, collects royalties and distributes them to the composers. They also secure commissions for music and promote existing compositions to recording artists, film and television. The copyrights owned and administered by publishing companies are one of the most important forms of intellectual property in the music industry. (The other is the copyright on a master recording which is typically owned by a record company.) Publishing companies play a central role in managing this vital asset.

The songwriter is an individual who writes the lyrics, melodies and chord progressions for songs, typically for a popular music genre such as pop music or country music. A songwriter can also be called a composer, although the latter term tends to be mainly used for individuals from the classical music genre. The pressure from the music industry to produce popular hits means that songwriting is often an activity for which the task are distributed between a number of people.

The recording artist is a musician and/or singer who records and releases music, often professionally, through a record label or independently. Working as a music artist requires long training, either in music school or through gaining experience and physical conditioning and practicing to maintain and improve musical skills. Music artists sometimes live erratic, nomadic lifestyles. Music artists often face intermittent periods of unemployment, long nights in the studio, and frequent travel to performance venues. They also typically must deal with income uncertainty due to competition for places in bands or performance venues. Though a risky profession, it is one of the most over-saturated occupations. While many musicians are only known within their city or region, some music artists, depending on public reception and appreciation of their work, go on to achieve celebrity status.

The music producer has many roles that may include, but are not limited to, gathering ideas for the projects, selecting songs and/or session musicians, proposing changes to the song arrangements, coaching the artist and musicians in the studio, controlling the recording sessions, and supervising the entire process through audio mixing (recorded music) and, in some cases, to the audio mastering stage. Producers also often take on a wider entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts, and negotiations. In the 2010s, the recording industry has two kinds of producers with different roles: executive producer and music producers. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the creation of music.

The record label is a brand or trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Often, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos; conducts talent scouting and development of new artists ("artists and repertoire" or "A&R"); and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information. Record labels may be small, localized, and "independent" ("indie"), or they may be part of a large international media group, or somewhere in between. As of 2012 there are only three labels that can be referred to as "major labels" (Universal Music Group out of California, Sony Music Entertainment out of Japan, and Warner Music Group out of New York).

An artist may use all or some of the other parts of the music business in order to produce music. There are disadvantages and advantages to both types of labels. Being under contract with an independent label means possibly larger cuts in royalty payments, especially if there are no middlemen. A major label, however, can provide wider exposure, which could mean more sources for royalty payments. There

Life Lessons Learned about the Principle of Free Agency

Life's struggles can be full of heartache, but they can also be the teachers of important lessons. A lesson I learned through many years of struggle is the importance of the principle of free agency. As members of the LDS church know, free agency is "the ability and privilege God gives people to choose and to act for themselves." In the pre-mortal existence, we actually fought to keep this privilege. Lucifer suggested an alternative plan to God's that would have nullified our ability to choose to return to our Heavenly Father or not. Instead, he suggested a plan that would guarantee that all of God's children would return. On the surface, Lucifer's plan appears the ideal - why would it be bad? On the contrary, it was not the ultimate purpose. The purpose of God's plan was to find out what each of us is made of.

As we descended to this earthly life, we gained bodies, lost remembrance of our previous existence, and received direction that we should faithfully uphold; we were given the opportunity to prove ourselves. Our Heavenly Father wanted to see if we would be willing to be directed by spiritual influences or earthly influences. Would we conform to higher law or would we rebel or ignore it? Following our Heavenly Father's plan would mean that many would fail the test and not return to Him. To effectuate His plan would require that we be given our free agency, freedom to choose.

It's amazing how often our freedom is tampered with. Throughout history, governments have forced their citizens to live a certain way. Leaders have passed laws that took away freedoms. Society has developed rules that took away the freedom of certain groups. Employers have worked their employees like slaves. Wives have been oppressed by husbands and vice versa. Children have lost their will in the face of parental controls. Some call people who swap freedoms as controlling. There are many ways to be controlling: silence, anger, withholding privileges, issuing demands and ultimatums, etc. and many more.

I realized I had lost my free agency when I finally had it returned to me. The lack of agency made me question myself, my role in this life, my testimony, and about every other thing. I found it difficult to live the Gospel. Happiness was contrived. For anyone to accept the Gospel, free agency is necessary. No one should have their freedom taken from them. Now that freedom is flourishing, I try to safeguard it for myself and everyone around me.

Gilmore Girls and the Fascination with Mormons...

The TV series, Gilmore Girls (2000-2008), is a story set in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, (a fictitious location) in the same time period that it was filmed. My daughter introduced the show to me. It is light and entertaining but also presents several sides to the human experience. There are issues between the rich and the working class, issues of working women vs. the stay-at-home woman of the house, issues condoning premarital sex vs. abstinence from sex until marriage, issues of religion vs. non-religion, issues of education vs. no education, issues of single parenting, issues of eating healthy vs. eating fast foods, issues of parenting. And what father would ever be okay with looking at his daughter's cleavage? As the story progresses, we find it easy to root for Lorelai and Rory, by whom the liberal side of all of those issues is made to appear better and not unreasonable, while the conservative side is made to seem ridiculous. Lorelai's mother is portrayed without a heart and beyond controlling, and Lane's mother lives her part as the inane orthodox religionist. Underneath the pervading viewpoint, Lorelai, at one point, revels over the fact that her daughter "is the good one" when Rory reveals to Paris that she has never had premarital sex. Lane, although she fought her mother's conservative principles and disobeyed most of her mother's rules, cannot give herself to Zach when they are dating or engaged because of what she had been taught through her life. Emily and Richard, Lorelai's parents, have a lasting, happy marriage amidst trials.


Although there are conflicting issues throughout the series, one idea is a constant theme agreed upon by all sides, and that theme is that "it is imperative to communicate everything that goes on in one's life." This seemingly simplistic idea is one I don't agree with. I have been aware of people who complained of not being told something, and I have wondered, "Well, why are they required to tell you?" Having felt wrath or belittlement from people who were upset with me because I didn't tell them personal information (at all or soon enough), I must say, "Where does it say that I must tell anyone within a certain time limit about things that are happening in my life?" If they think I have been amiss, they ought to first consider why I might be unwilling to divulge information. What kind of relationship invites open interaction...  Not every relationship deserves that, and surely, not everyone can demand that. Yes, I realize that if I were to tell what news I may have freely, I would avoid their wrath, but their wrath should never be a reason I do anything. They should just be happy to hear my news however or whenever because I am going to give them exactly the same consideration. Also, being fine with waiting to hear develops respect and trust that might eventually result in a relationship where the parties feel comfortable sharing any information.


The show also has an infatuation with or need to ridicule Mormonism. (After all, during some of this time Romney was running for president.) There are seven episodes in which Mormons are mentioned.



1. Season 2, Episode 2:  Lorelai said to Rory, "...reminisce about how I never forced you to become a missionary." They didn't actually refer to Mormon missionaries, but which church has the greatest organization of missionaries?



2. Season 3, Episode 7:  Jaxon said, "I didn't realize I was a Mormon." He was referring to polygamy because Sookie and Lorelai were both putting in their opinions about how many children Sookie should have.



3. Season 4, Episode 9:  Lorelai pours an alcoholic beverage into a cup and asks her dad, "How's that?" He responds, "Oh, that's fine if we were in Utah."



4. Season 4, Episode 10: Tobin said, "I moved to Utah because I heard there were a  lot of job opportunities for industrious Mormons." Lorelai questioned, "I didn't know you were a Mormon?" Tobin replied, "I wasn't so I became one. The paperwork took weeks. And I didn't know about the alcohol thing." Lorelai interjected, "They famously abstain." Tobin continued, "No coffee, either. The choir was fabulous, but then there's the funny underwear. It didn't last. I spent a lot of time online when I was a Mormon. There wasn't much else to do."



5. Season 5, Episode 6:  Paris says to Rory, "You want to go check out the Mormon bingo around 5th?"



6. Season 5, Episode 10:  In a speed dating event at which both Paris and Doyle found themselves, Doyle says to Paris, about the previous suitor, "I believe the words Latter-day Saints were about to come out of her mouth."


7. Season 6, Episode 10:  Lorelai says to Rory, "The last time they triple-teamed me with a priest, a rabbi, and a Mormon missionary."


Although this show seems to glorify issues or condone behaviors that I don't approve of, and I have often thought that I should find something better to watch, it has taken me through several mass grading sessions of term papers. I tune to the show and have it on in the background, with volume low, while I read and correct term papers, coming up for air and breaks to see where we are in the seven-year story. I don't know how many times I have watched through the entire series, but, watching it so many times, I've realized some very profound moments of dialogue and plot that the writers may not have even been aware of. I can always find a silver lining.