Remembering is a Good Choice

What is it that You Will Choose to Remember This Day?

We all remember the scenes of devastation and sorrow. 

Do we remember the love? Do we remember the kindness?
Do we remember the humanity and the selfless service
of those who gave their all to save a stranger?

After 9-11, individuals and families all across our nation
chose to remember God and to remember Country.
Is that a choice for you today?
Are you still attending your Church?
Are you still displaying your flag?
Do you still have hope
for yourself, your children, and our Country?

The Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance.
Are we remembering to express gratitude to those we love,
to our family and friends?
Are we remembering to show kindness to strangers?
Are we remembering to give thanks,
praising God, and giving Him the glory?

We can choose to see evil every day,
because it is here and we can see it.

We can also choose to see love every day,
because it is here and we can be a part of it.
We can create it.

We clearly mean it when we say, “We will never forget.”
But what exactly is it that we are choosing to remember.
Will our memories make a difference to us?
Will our actions make a difference for others?

We can’t forget the insidious actions of hatred
that have taken innocent lives, on 9-11 and throughout history;
and how those cruel deeds caused pain and damage
to loved ones that is ongoing. 

But do those actions make a more indelible mark 

on our souls than the goodness that is witnessed 

during those very times? 

Light always shines through, 

and our choices can make it overpower the darkness 

in our own hearts, minds, and lives.
With that light,
we can make a difference in the lives of others.

Jesus is the Light of the World, 

and it is only through remembering Him 

that we can experience everlasting peace and everlasting life.

He died for all humanity, 

our failures, our mistakes, and even our hate.

He lives for all of us, too. 

He is the Way. He is our Bread. He is our salvation. 

Through Him our lives can again have meaning and direction. 

With His love, He provided hope for all. 

His invitation is, “Come, follow Me.”

Do we remember to find ways to 

recognize and remember God’s kindness?

What will you choose to remember today?

A scripture verse:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the
rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation;
that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind,
yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you,
it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built,
which is a sure foundation,
a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Helaman 5:12

A message from an apostle:

O Remember, Remember

Remember

Remember

Photograph by Rosaura Ortiz

What has made this Country great in the past?

It was the people. We the People.

What kind of people made this Country great?

Americans. Americans were a people who looked to God for direction and protection. We were a people who looked to serve one another and to be a beacon on the hill, a light shining forth in the darkness of the world.

We were a people who loved God, Country, family, and each other. 

One thing is for certain. Since we have been forgetful of the God of this Land, who is Jesus Christ, we have succumbed to the darkness of the world around us. No matter how enlightened we all think we may be, without the Light of Christ in our lives, there is not light; without Him, all is darkness.

While we remember those who serve; those who are still Americans, who love God, Country, and fellow citizen: man, woman, and child; let us not forget the God who has instilled within our hearts the ability and the power to feel such love and the desire to preserve it.

While we remember those who leave home and family to protect our homes and families, let us not forget the importance of family. Let us not forget the importance of strengthening home and family ties and supporting the fundamental building blocks of society and of eternity. Let us remember to build up and support our own family fortresses against the evils of this world and offer protection to our little children. And while our servicemen and servicewomen are far away from home insuring our safety, let us offer protection and service to their families.

We have been forgetful for too long. It is time. It is time for us to remember. It has always been up to us, We the People.

Also Read:

Lest We Forget

We Lost More Troops in Afghanistan, and This is a Reason for our Country to Be Even More Divided?

We Lost More Troops in Afghanistan, and This is a Reason for our Country to Be Even More Divided?

We lost more troops in Afghanistan, and this is a reason for our Country to be even more divided? Facebook responses show that we are not one nation, but several with differing opinions. There are the humble who are saddened and turn to God in faith, praying for the welfare and peace of the soldiers’ families, especially during this Christmas season. There are those who condemn people of belief, saying that God is their make-believe friend. There are those who either blame God or question a God who would allow this to happen. There are those who readily blame Obama, because he promised that he would hurriedly bring our soldiers home. This was during his campaigning periods; but, while in office, he’s been faced with the complexities of the situation. There are those who defend Obama, because they view him as beyond scrutiny, and they always have, and they always will. In turn, they call all those who do not favor Obama conservative sheep who just follow a conservative news media. There are others who claim that there is no such thing as a conservative news media. There are those who are still blaming Bush because he’s the one who first took our troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. They claim that the war was all about oil, not about atrocities committed against our nation, other nations, and even the people of the nations with which we went to war (in hopes of establishing a degree of freedom for those people). Most everybody supported Bush in his decision; but, then most readily dismissed that they did so. It must be remembered that Obama did not start this war; neither did Bush start this war. There was a terrorist attack on our nation! The saddest thing of all is that there are those who think that the soldiers received their just and due reward. To be so blind that you cannot see the great love of country and people that these men and women have, that they sacrifice their daily lives, putting personal and family pursuits on hold; that they even offer the ultimate sacrifice of life and breath, is ingratitude in its deepest depths. Why do the people of this country choose to be divided?

There is a great sifting process happening now in the world. People have been richly blessed in this generation, and most in the United States have really seen nothing of war, except what the media chooses to show. But there are those who have valiantly served our Country, and they have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not all is bad, but news ratings thrive on sensationalism. There are people in the world who have looked to God for understanding and direction in their lives, and they have felt a measure of peace, even while living in the great confusion that surrounds them. They are often condemned as ignorant and blind by those who exercise their right to claim personal superiority, because they see no need for a God in their lives. They constantly tell those who have faith that they lack reasoning and that they make no sense. Just remember, faith never makes sense to the faithless. But for those of faith, we do have hope for the better world of promise that is not out of reach to those who believe and put their trust in God.

Most United States citizens have not seen much of war since World War II. I believe that because the people of the United States united in a common purpose during that war, it became a time of great growth for the country. We became stronger as a people and stronger as a country and a world power. But that strength was founded in a common purpose and a united faith. Today, many feel too superior to work towards unity in any degree. The backlash in Facebook posts and responses show the extreme lack of unity and the justifications for remaining in disharmony.

When you write on Facebook, you are exercising your freedom of speech. When others respond, they are doing the same thing. You can't expect to just write and not have responses. All are entitled to their opinions. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't agree. I just wish that people didn't think that they are displaying intelligence by stating that others are stupid. We are so lacking in common courtesy and diplomacy as an entire nation, and then we wonder why we are at war. It’s not Bush’s fault or Obama’s fault; it goes much deeper than that. If we cannot learn to be civil in our communications with each other, why would we expect civility among differing nations and peoples. It's all right for someone to have an opinion without others attacking his or her intelligence and/or integrity. So strange. You would think that when troops are lost, we could all agree that it is sad the troops have been lost. If we had less hate in our own country, we might begin to have less hate in the world.

I am no politician or political scholar, so I have no proposals for change, other than this: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” If each of us were to develop a love of God and a love of fellowmen in our own hearts, not only would we transform ourselves into children of the Highest, but we would transform the world. I cannot do much, but I can have influence in my own life, in the life of my family and my neighbors to some degree; I can have influence in my church congregation and in my community. So can you. If individuals (and families) would decide now as Joshua did of old (when he said that as from him and his house, they would serve the Lord), we would have a promised change, and it would begin with a change of heart, and it would be the change that would unite us as a people and as a world; and it would prepare us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As we sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” this season, let us also pray that we will have the strength to rise up and prepare for a peaceful world so that we may take part in His return. Our Country’s unity, and world unity, depends upon each of us developing a unified relationship with our Maker. To become one nation under God, we must begin to live the motto, “In God is our trust.”

Where Does our Country Go From Here?

10-13-13

Where does the Country go from here?

We see news; we see protests; we see ideas. But now what? Just seeing glimpses of what the government is doing, or not doing, and then glimpses of those who are acting in their own good faith to preserve, or to regain, the freedoms outlined and promised in the Constitution does little more than make us all a tad more aware of our own discontent or sleepy acceptance. What can those who have patriotic stirrings in their souls actually do? Where do we go from here?

I've followed the bikers' march and the truckers' march and their efforts are exemplary. They have shown our veterans respect and devotion. But we know that the mainstream media is ignoring them or undermining their efforts by saying that they are tea party lunatics or such. So are we going to let the liberal media and the liberal educators continue to write our history? In 20 years from now, what will the school buddy history books say about today? I'm afraid that if we all don't get involved in some logical, unified way, these efforts will be buried or be perversely documented as lunacy. So how do we help focus these efforts into true directives? How can patriots gain a unified voice and a united vote in order to change the direction we are heading? What are we willing to do as a people to preserve those things which we claim to be precious?

These marches have to be the beginning of bigger things. Who else values our service men and women? Who else values our veterans? Who else values our Constitution and the legacy of the founding of the greatest country ever? For those who think that the last statement is prideful nationalism--No, it is humble gratitude to God for helping to establish a country devoted to freedom and progress of individuals and families, who could pursue their dreams and seek happiness in their fulfillment. It is acknowledging the wisdom of our forefathers in trying to keep the federal government’s power to a minimum in order to preserve personal freedoms and state freedoms. And, it is showing gratitude to those who developed and gave us a good America and a good childhood, and having the desire to pass that America on to our children and our posterity, instead of the parallel universe that has been erupting alongside it. One has to die and the other remain. Which one are we seeking to preserve?

I can’t think about patriotism, defense of country, and preservation of country and Constitution without turning my thoughts to God. We have to be disciples of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Without His aid, we are doomed to fail. The Lord Jesus Christ is both our spiritual and our temporal salvation. We need to acknowledge Him, and we need to acknowledge that we need Him now. To become strong again as a nation, we need to become strong again individually; and that strength needs to begin with our spiritual selves.

Today, the speaker in church noted some things that we should be doing to become better disciples. These are the very things that we must also do to become better citizens, so that we can ask God the Father in the name of His Son Jesus Christ to aid us in our quest for freedom from both spiritual and physical bondage. To say that we are not in bondage currently in our nation is either a lie, or else we are too spiritually dead to notice. We are indeed in bondage to our national debt and to a government that is not representing the people who voted them in office.

Steps outlined by Bishop Johnson:

1) Have daily prayer and scripture study.
To this, I would add, study the Constitution and the history of the rise of this great nation.

2) Take time to ponder. Think about your prayers and listen to the Spirit for insights and promptings. Think deeply about the things that you read and incorporate the things that you learn into your life.

3) Don’t raise your voice. Practice diplomacy and patience. You can’t enforce your will, but you can use gentleness, persuasion, and love unfeigned.

4) Be in control of your appetites and passions. Make the necessary day-to-day choices that will help you gain self-mastery.

5) Be active in church and in the gospel. Remember that your church should help you live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Attend your meetings.

6) Be humble. Accept righteous counsel.

7) Serve others and forgive. Especially, remember the two great commandments: to love the Lord with all your might, mind, heart, and strength; and to love your neighbor as yourself.

In reviewing the above seven points, I can’t help but think that Benjamin Franklin would endorse these himself. He practiced these principles of self-discipline in his life, and his wisdom helped guide and bring about the birth of this nation.

Back to the beginning question: Where does the Country go from here? We do not have any extra time to dally and play with sin and destruction. We don’t. Individually, we need to devote ourselves to God and to Country. I know that I am going to do better. We need to seek righteous leaders and we need to constantly seek to redress wrongs. And if called upon by the Spirit of God and by the wisdom of righteous men and women, we need to be prepared to defend our Country and its Constitution. The question still remains. I don’t have the answers. But I know that our safety and our preservation lies in the righteousness of each individual citizen.

No trust for current media or government