What Kind of a Steward Would You Be?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 51-57 in a lesson titled “A Faithful, a Just, and a Wise Steward.” The lesson was introduced by the following paragraphs. 

For Church members in the 1830s, gathering the Saints and building the city of Zion were spiritual as well as temporal labors, with many practical matters to address: Someone needed to buy land where the Saints could settle. Someone needed to print books and other publications. And someone needed to run a store to provide goods for people in Zion. In the revelations recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 51-57, the Lord appointed and instructed people to handle these tasks.

 

But while skills in such things are needed in Zion, these revelations also teach that the Lord desires His Saints to become spiritually worthy to be called a Zion people—His people. He calls each of us to be “a faithful, a just, and a wise steward,” having a contrite spirit, “stand[ing] fast” in our appointed responsibilities (see Doctrine and Covenants 51:19; 52:15; 54:2). If we can do that—regardless of our temporal skills—the Lord can use us to build Zion.

The scripture blog contains several principles, including (1) The Lord wants me to be a faithful, just, and wise steward (Doctrine and Covenants 51), (2) I can invite others to come unto Christ wherever I go (Doctrine and Covenants 52:9-11, 22-27), (3) The Lord helps me avoid deception (Doctrine and Covenants 52:14-19), (4) I can turn to the Lord when I am hurt by others’ choices (Doctrine and Covenants 54), and (5) Blessed are the pure in heart (Doctrine and Covenants 56:14-20).

This essay will discuss principle #4, “I can turn to the Lord when I am hurt by others’ choices (Doctrine and Covenants 54). Section 54 tells about a group of Saints known as the Colesville Saints because they originated in Colesville, New York. When they moved from Colesville, New York, to the Kirtland, Ohio, area, they were told that there would be a place to live. There were about sixty men, women, and children in the group.

Leman Copley was a recent convert to the Church and had offered his land as a place for the immigrating Saints to live in exchange for the Saints improving the land. However, Copley changed his mind and eventually left the Church. However, the Colesville Saints were left without land. The introduction to Section 54 is as follows:

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Newel Knight, at Kirtland, Ohio, June 10, 1831. Members of the Church living in Thompson, Ohio, were divided on questions having to do with the consecration of properties. Selfishness and greed were manifest. Following his mission to the Shakers (see the heading to section 49), Leman Copley had broken his covenant to consecrate his large farm as a place of inheritance for the Saints arriving from Colesville, New York. As a consequence, Newel Knight (leader of the members living in Thompson) and other elders had come to the Prophet asking how to proceed. The Prophet inquired of the Lord and received this revelation, which commands the members in Thompson to leave Leman Copley’s farm and journey to Missouri.

If you had a friend among the Colesville Saints, what counsel could you find in section 54 to share with them? Here are some bits of counsel that I found in this scripture.

1. Remember that Jesus Christ is in charge (verse 1).

2. Stand fast in the office given to you (verse 2).

3. Repent of your sins, be humble and contrite (verse 3).

4. Know that if you break your covenant with God, the covenant will be void, and you will receive no mercy (verses 4-6).

5. Go where the Lord calls you to go and do what He calls you to do (verses 7-8).

6. At other times, work to provide a living for yourself and your family (verse 9).

7. Be patient in tribulation and seek God early (verse 10).

I have been pondering all week the situation of the early members of the Church, such as the Colesville Saints. They left their homes in New York and traveled to Ohio because the Prophet Joseph Smith told them that he and the body of the Church were moving there. They were in Ohio for only a few weeks when they were told to move to Missouri.

I have wondered if I had faith strong enough to leave my home and possibly friends and family to follow the words of a religious leader. I hope that my faith is strong enough to follow the prophet of the Lord in difficult circumstances, but I find it difficult to know what I would do in a situation that I have not personally faced. I hope and pray that I have faith like that of the Colesville Saints.

Are Some Forms of Sugar Better Than Others?

Families are stronger when they are healthy, and healthy families strengthen their communities, states, and nations. According to Lois M. Collins at The Deseret News, a group of researchers from Brigham Young University have published the results of a study on ingesting sugar. Collins noted three key points from the study: 

1. Sugar-sweetened beverages raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

2. Drinking sugar is drastically riskier than eating sugar due to its impact on the liver.

3. Not all sugars are equally risky, according to BYU study involving half a million people.

The study found that the type of sugar as well as the form of sugar is important to understand. Eating sugar is not as dangerous to the body as drinking sugar. For example, it is better to eat fruit than to drink fruit juice because of the effect that liquid sugar has on the liver. Also, the form and the amount of sugar consumed, not sugar itself, is what influences the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers suggest that eating sugar and drinking it have different metabolic effects that may account for the difference in risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sugar-sweetened drinks provide isolated sugars that kick off greater glycemic impact. That can overwhelm the liver’s metabolic process and cause fatty liver and insulin resistance.

Dietary sugars, though, when consumed in or added to nutrient-dense foods like fruit, dairy products and whole grains, don’t overwhelm the liver. “These embedded sugars elicit slower blood glucose responses due to accompanying fiber, fats, proteins and other beneficial nutrients,” per the research.

So sugars eaten with whole foods are much less harmful than those consumed in liquid form… [because] the human body is not accustomed to processing and metabolizing the very high amounts of sugars found in sugar-sweetened beverages…. Sugar has always been a part of the human diet….

The bottom line is that sugar on its own is not a “nutritional villain.” The thing that matters is the amount and form of sugar and if it is being consumed with “macronutrients that can slow down its digestion.” When sugar is consumed in excess, it can overwhelm the liver. Fructose, but not glucose, is mainly metabolized in the liver where it becomes fat – contributing to the “development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is associated with insulin resistance … [and] risk of developing type 2 diabetes … an unhealthy cycle.”

Collins indicated that fruit juices contain about “the same level of sugar as sodas have” but is less harmful but still “a poor substitute for whole fruits.” Also, “high glycemic index foods directly raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, while dietary sugar does not except in liquid form.”

Wise parents will limit the total amount of sugar consumed by their children. They will also eliminate most, if not all, liquid sugar. One way to limit liquid sugar consumption is to give children fruit-juice-flavored water. By keeping their children healthy, parents can strengthen their family, community, state, and nation. 

Does the Constitution Guarantee Birthright Citizenship?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns birthright citizenship. This topic sprung into the national spotlight on January 20, 2025, when newly inaugurated President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship. Soon thereafter, 22 states sued to block the executive order, and nationwide debates began over who is granted birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Most people today believe that everyone born on American soil is automatically a citizen of the United States. However, Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, questioned in a recent Prager University video if the Constitution really grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.  What are the legal issues behind birthright citizenship? Quinn Delamater reported on the Swearer video in his article published at The Daily Signal. 

While the 14^th Amendment says, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,” Swearer said that this raises the question, who is born subject to U.S. jurisdiction?

She cited the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford, where the Supreme Court rules in 1857 that black Americans could never be U.S. citizens. The Dred Scott decision was overturned by the 14^th Amendment, solving the issue of citizenship, but only as it related to race, Swearer said.

Today, we “now interpret these words to make citizens of virtually anyone born on U.S. soil, under all circumstances,” said Swearer.

The legal scholar cited two specific cases from the 1800s that clearly indicated the understanding that only those “born within the jurisdiction and allegiance of the United States” be granted citizenship.

In 1885, Richard Gresser’s citizenship was rejected because he was born on American soil while his parents were visiting from Germany, where they returned to soon after his birth.

In 1890, Mary Devereux, an Irish citizen visiting America, was taken off a harbor ship in New York to give birth to her child before reboarding the ship. The child’s citizenship was also denied.

In both instances, a grant of citizenship was not seen as necessary when the person had no political allegiance to America, according to Swearer.

Swearer said that a case often cited to back arguments for birthright citizenship is the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898. In that case, the court ruled in favor of a Chinese man claiming citizenship after being born to immigrant parents in America.

While some claim this set the precedent for a mandate for all birthright citizenship, Swearer said that this is a misinterpretation.

“The Wong decision was meant to undo the immoral Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,” Swearer said. “So, universal birthright citizenship isn’t required by the 14^th Amendment’s text or historical context. It’s inconsistent with the earliest legal interpretations of the amendment. And it isn’t compelled by Supreme Court precedent.”

Is America Spiraling into Decline?

In February 2020, Virginia Aabram published an article in The Daily Signal that discussed the possibility of United States collapsing around Independence Day, July 4, 2026. The question came from author and syndicated columnist Cal Thomas in a presentation titled “America’s Expiration Date” given at The Heritage Foundation. 

Thomas based his Feb. 6 speech on his new book of the same name, which examines eight of the greatest empires in world history and how they tended to spiral into decline after about 250 years in power.

By that metric, America could begin a theoretical decline by about 2026, predicated on the country’s founding on July 4, 1776.

“While many like to comfort themselves that America is different, or even uniquely blessed by God, there’s no proof that we will escape the fate of other nations that one time believed the same about themselves,” Thomas said….

After examining the historical precedent of former global superpowers, such as the Roman, Persian, Ottoman, and British empires, Thomas claims in his book that certain markers of cultural decline precede political decline. The book’s subtitle is “The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States.”

“Our past challenges were met with a resolve born out of a shared ethic and moral sense that is today in rapid retreat,” Thomas said.

One of the most disturbing of those markers, Thomas said, is the casual devaluation of human life. He cited not only the large number of abortions that take place every day in the United States, but al the daily deadly shootings in the inner cities….

Despite the warnings that America is edging toward decline, Thomas is still hopeful that there’s time to reverse the damage and ensure that July Fourth, 2026, is a celebration of the 250^th birthday of the country, not a funeral.

Recently, Victor Davis Hanson had an article in The Daily Signal discussing the debt of the United States and how it could become a crisis for the nation. He first noted that Moody’s, the bond evaluator, made a move that has not been made since 1917: Moody’s “lowered the credit rating of the United States government from Aaa to Aa1.” 

Hanson mentioned that Moody’s did not make this move “during the 2008 meltdown … the Great Depression … 9/11 … during the Biden years when we borrowed $7 trillion,” but they “did it now.”

At the same time, Jerome Powell, the head of the Fed, will not lower interest rates even though there’s been a good jobs report, a good inflation report, a good corporate profits report. Gross domestic product is gonna be evaluated, apparently, upward and there’s been low energy cost. That mortgage is still 4.25% Fed rate to 4.5%. And that means mortgages are still 6.5%, 7%. And that housing market is slowing as a result….

So, the budget deficit, for all the talk of DOGE and for all the talk of fiscal sobriety, might not actually go down. And if it doesn’t go down, the Fed may not lower rates. And if it doesn’t lower rates, then you still are stuck with a trillion dollars a year in interest payments. That’s killing us.

So, you’ve got to get that down. And the way Trump has to do it is just two ways: Either cut the budget or raise taxes – which will strangle the economy – or continue the tax cuts. And hope two things: that the tax cuts – the extension – will prime the economy, along with cheap interest rates.

And the question that we all have now: Is cutting taxes on tips, is cutting taxes on Social Security, is cutting taxes on first responder, etc. – all of which Trump has mentioned – is that really stimulus as opposed to, say, accelerated depreciation investment for businesses?

I don’t know the answer. But I do know, as a historian, that if you do not cut the deficit and the national debt and you have bond raters like Moody’s or the Fed that will not lower interest rates, you’re going to be in a crisis.

And in the antiquity – from Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance – there were three ways of dealing with unsustainable debt and are not good. They’re all civilizational killers.

No. 1: As the Weimar Republic did in Germany, you pay back what you owe in cheap dollars. They inflated the marks. And [bankruptcy] really helped cause the depression. You can do that, pay back the $37 trillion in inflated dollars. It’s not a good option.

No. 2: You can confiscate private wealth. People do that all the time throughout history. That destroys the legitimacy of the government. And it makes private investors hide their money,

… Something like that … never works. It never worked in Athens. It never worked in Rome. It never worked in Renaissance Italy.

The third is the most drastic and it’s a killer too and we’ve seen countries in South America try it. And that’s to renounce the debt. Just say: You know what? All you bondholders, you guys have U.S. savings bonds – 40% of them abroad, you know, here in America – you have so much money anyway. We’re just not gonna pay you back – the government. We’re gonna renounce it and start from zero.

Who would ever buy a bond again if we were to do that?

So, bottom line is incumbent upon the Trump administration to make real cuts and show progress that you’re reducing the annual budget deficit and more importantly, you have mechanisms to grow the economy.

Final note. We have a lot of confidence – this administration – that tariffs will give revenue and maybe also help reduce the budget deficit. I’m not sure that’s happening… So, I’m not sure we can count on tariff income at all.

What we should count on is cut, cut, cut. Seek a balanced budget and grow the economy with tax cuts that encourage investment and economic expansion.

Are Illegal Migrants Voting in Federal Elections?

Democrats and other Liberals continue to claim that federal elections are secure and that illegal immigration has nothing to do with election integrity. Yet, reports continue to come forth of diverse types of people voting illegally. The latest report comes from Jason Hopkins who first made his report for the Daily Caller News Foundation, which was later published at The Daily Signal. 

A federal Grand Jury indicted a Colombian national Thursday on allegations of living in the U.S. unlawfully for years under a stolen identity, receiving hundreds of thousands in government benefits and voting in the last presidential election.

Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, a 59-year-old Columbian woman residing in Boston, lived in the U.S. more than 20 years under a stolen identity and improperly received roughly $400,000 in rental assistance, Social Security and food stamp benefits, according to a press release by the Department of Justice. Prosecutors say she not only voted in the 2024 presidential election, but has been registered to vote since January 2023.

“For more than 20 years, this defendant is alleged to have built an entire life on the foundation of a stolen identity – including illegally voting in our presidential election and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for Americans in need,” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a prepared statement.

“The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a U.S. citizen,” Foley continued. “Government funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully – not support an illegal alien without a right to be here.”

Orovio-Hernandez allegedly used her stolen identity to obtain a Massachusetts Real ID, eight other state IDs and apply for a U.S. passport, according to prosecutors. She is accused of unlawfully collecting $259,589 in Section 8 rental assistance benefits between October 2011 and January 2025, $101,257 in Social Security disability benefits between July 2014 and January 2025 and $43,348 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits between April 2005 and January 2025.

Altogether, the Colombia national is charged with one count of fraudulent voter registration, one count of fraudulent voting, one count of false representation of a Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport and three counts of receiving stolen government money or property, according to the DOJ.

“Stealing someone’s identity to unlawfully obtain Social Security benefits is not just theft – it’s a long-term abuse of a system meant to support those truly in need,” said Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division. “This indictment reflects our continued commitment to uncovering long-term fraud and holding individuals accountable for exploiting the Social Security system.”

The high-profile charges follow steps by President Donald Trump’s administration to bolster election integrity and keep foreign nationals out of U.S. elections….

This is not the first case of an illegal migrant assuming another individual’s identity and participating in American elections.

Angelica Maria Francisco and Carlos Abreu – from Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, respectively – are both illegal migrants who pled guilty to assuming the identities of American citizens and voting in federal elections. The two illegal migrants had allegedly lived in the U.S. under false identities for years before being caught by federal prosecutors.

If convicted of all charges, Orovio-Hernandez faces up to more than 30 years in prison and well over $1 million in various fines, according to the DOJ. She additionally faces deportation back to her home country upon completion of any criminal sentence.

With millions of migrants entering the United States illegally over a period of four years (Biden administration), it is logical to think that other people here illegally will take advantage of the freedoms and rights that Americans enjoy. Democrats and other liberals know the illegal migrants vote in our elections, and they want more liberal voters. What other reason is there for the constant liberal attempts to keep the illegal migrants in the United States?

Who Is Mike Johnson?

My VIP for this week is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for successfully “herding” all the members of the House of Representatives. In the words of George Caldwell at The Daily Signal, “Johnson has consistently beaten the odds throughout the first five months of the 119^th Congress, settling seemingly irreconcilable disagreements within the fractious House Republican Conference to advance President Donald Trump’s highest priorities. 

The House of Representatives has passed only one of Trump’s major executive orders – renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America.” However, Johnson has been successful in moving “his caucus at the most important moments.” Caldwell shared four such moments.

1. Holding Onto His Gavel

After being somewhat of a divisive figure in the 118^th Congress, Johnson’s first fight in the House in early January at the opening of the 119^th Congress was to persuade his party to back him almost unanimously to be speaker again….

2. Continuing Resolution

One of Johnson’s earliest tests was passing a continuing resolution to continue spending levels from former President Joe Biden’s term and prevent a government shutdown.

Given Republicans’ reluctance to continue Biden’s policies – especially amid early excitement over the Department of Government Efficiency – winning over conservatives to vote for a continuing resolution was no easy task.

But Johnson was able to win over unlikely allies to this effort….

3. Senate Budget Plan

After Trump gave his endorsement to the Senate’s budget resolution in April, Johnson was forced to win over fiscal conservatives to vote for a plan that many of them felt was inadequate in terms of spending-cut targets.

Johnson accomplished that primarily by persuading the fiscal hawks that the budget plan – a necessary first step before budget reconciliation – was not something to fret over in the grand scheme of things.

Asked at the time what his case to these holdouts was, Johnson said, “Look, the resolution is not the law itself. The resolution continues the process; it’s a necessary step. So, the real deliberation and the consensus has to be built around the bill itself, and that’s what I’ve told everybody.”

4. Reconciling SALT and the Freedom Caucus

Johnson’s most recent triumph was winning the vote of holdouts from two stubborn factions – advocates of a higher cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions on federal taxes and members of the House Freedom Caucus.

A SALT deduction allows residents in high-tax states to deduct their state and local taxes on their federal tax returns. [While Trump’s 2017 tax cuts allowed up to $10,000 to be deducted on tax returns under SALT, Johnson first offered $30,000, which was raised to “a $40,000 cap with limitations on income levels for those eligible for the deduction… an extremely generous offer….”]

But Johnson’s real triumph came in managing to win over Freedom Caucus’ fiscal conservatives after appeasing the SALT caucus….

Nevertheless, Johnson was able to win over the Freedom Caucus members by bringing the bill to the floor for consideration Wednesday night and coordinating with the White House to persuade the holdouts.

Johnson also released a final draft from the House Rules Committee that included key concessions to the Freedom Caucus, such as earlier implementation of Medicaid work requirements (2026 rather than 2029), and an earlier expiration of Biden’s green energy tax credits.

The result was an odds-defying triumph for House leadership….

 

What Does Memorial Day Mean to You?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is Memorial Day. For those who do not know, Memorial Day is a federal holiday that now falls on the last Monday in May to remember members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed while serving in the military. Also, Armed Forces Day is a day to honor the people who currently wear the military uniform of our nation, and Veterans Day is a day to honor all those men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. However, Memorial Day has become a day to remember all our loved ones who have died, and all the federal holidays have become three-day weekends for many people.

I do not remember much about Memorial Day and do not know if my parents even visited the graves of loved ones. My father was not in the military because he was too young in World War I and too old in World War II. However, he served America by building railroad tunnels in Alaska on two separate occasions. Two older brothers were drafted into the Army, but neither left the United States. I was too young to know much about their service. It may be that my parents did not observe Memorial Day because we had no close relatives who lost their lives in military service for America.

I first learned about Memorial Day after marrying my husband. His family always observed Memorial Day and even spent the entire weekend driving to all the cemeteries. My husband comes from a family where numerous men served in one of the Armed Forces. His father was in the Navy until he was hit by a truck and broke his back.

A paternal uncle served in the same military group that dropped the bombs on Japan, although he was on leave when the bombs were dropped. Six or eight maternal uncles served in World War II, and two younger maternal uncles served in the Korean War. They all came home alive and in good health.

My oldest son served in the Air Force as a medical doctor. He was deployed several times but never to any war zone. However, his service taught me about the sacrifices made by the loved ones of our military defenders. The deployments bring great sacrifices to family members, but losing a spouse or parents brings even greater sacrifices. Too many military spouses are widowed, and too many military children are forced to face life without one of their parents.

On a lighter side, Memorial Day weekend marks the day of safety when Alaskans can put their plants in their gardens. So, what does Memorial Day mean to you?

What Is the Ideal Marriage and Family Life?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 49-50 in a lesson titled “That Which Is of God Is Light.” The lesson was introduced by the following statement: 

The Savior is our “good shepherd” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:44). He knows that sometimes sheep wander and the wilderness has many perils. So He lovingly leads us to the safety of His doctrine. He leads us away from dangers such as “false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:2). Following Him often means letting go of incorrect ideas or traditions. This was true for Leman Copley and others in Ohio. They had accepted the restored gospel but still held on to some beliefs that just weren’t correct. In Doctrine and Covenants 49, the Lord declared truths that corrected Leman’s previous beliefs about topics such as marriage and the Savior’s Second Coming. And when the Ohio converts “received … spirits which [they] could not understand,” the Lord taught them how to discern true manifestations of the Spirit (Doctrine and Covenants 50:15). The Good Shepherd is patient with us, His “little children,” who “must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:40).

The scripture block contained the following principles: (1) Jesus Christ wants me to embrace the truths of His gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 49; 50:24), (2) Marriage between man and woman is essential to God’s plan (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15-17, (3) The Lord’s teachings can protect me from Satan’s deceptions (Doctrine and Covenants 50), (4) Teachers and learners are edified together by the Spirit (Doctrine and Covenants 50:13-24), and (5) “That which is of God is light” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:23-25). This essay will discuss principle #2 about marriage.

Principle #2 states that marriage between man and woman is essential to God’s plan (Doctrine and Covenants 49:15-17). The applicable scripture verses are as follows.

15 And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man.

16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.

17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.

In an effort to undermine Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness for His spirit children, Satan seeks to create confusion about marriage. The Lord, on the other hand, continues to reveal truth about marriage through His prophets. Important truths about marriage are as follows.

1. Marriage is ordained of God unto man. (D&C 49:15).

2. Man should have one wife, and they should become one flesh (D&C 49:16).

3. Woman was made as a help meet for man (Genesis 2:20, 22).

4. Man should leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

5. The man is not without the woman, nor the woman without the man (1 Cor. 11:11).

6. “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God” (Family Proclamation).

7. “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children” (Family Proclamation).

8. “Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan” (Family Proclamation).

Elder Ulisses Soares taught that “the restored gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities” (“In Partnership with the Lord,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 42). 

Here is a link to a video of President Henry B. Eyring speaking about the “Renaissance of Marriage” at a gathering in the Vatican. 

Happy marriage and family life are the ideal in the gospel of Jesus Christ toward which most members work. However, we don’t all get to enjoy such blessings in mortal life. People live in a variety of individual and family circumstances, so we should be sensitive in discussing ideal marriage and family life. However, the ideal is something that we can all work toward.

 

Why Are Americans So Sick?

Families, communities, states, and nations are stronger when the rising generation is healthy. In attempt to Make America Healthy Again, President Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services. The Make America Healthy Again Commission, headed by Kennedy, recently released its highly anticipated report. The commission found the following, according to Lois M. Collins at The Deseret News: 

America’s children have a health crisis that’s built on the poor diet caused by ultra-processed foods, toxic environmental chemicals, too little physical activity, chronic stress and “overmedicalization.” …

The commission wrote that the goal of the report is to establish “a clear, evidence-based foundation for the policy interventions, institutional reforms and societal shifts needed to reverse course.”

The report paints a picture of American health – and particularly that of children – that’s anything but rosy. The U.S. spends twice as much as its peer nations on health, but comes in last among them for life expectancy, with higher levels of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

The report also notes that 40% of the approximately 73 million U.S. children younger than 18 have at least one chronic condition, based on CDC data. One in five over age 6 are obese. And it says three-fourths of young people ages 17-24 are “ineligible for military service – primarily due to obesity, poor physical fitness and/or mental health challenges.”

“Today’s children are the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease and these preventable trends continue to worsen each year, posing a threat to our nation’s health, economy and military readiness,” per the commission.

Collins discussed the following key takeaways from the “Making Our Children Healthy Again (Assessment)” report.

Diet has shifted to ultra-processed foods

The U.S. food system is “safe, but could be healthier,” per the report. It notes that most kids are eating a lot of ultra-processed food, which tend to have extra added sugars, chemical additives and saturated fats….

Children need more fruits and vegetables and other whole foods, per the commission, which said that government programs have compounded the issue.

The shift to a diet based largely on ultra-processed foods means children consume more calories, but get fewer nutrients, while consuming “harmful additives.” …

Among the health challenges for children is a big increase in the number who have diabetes, as well as … “pre-diabetic.”

Exposure to environmental chemicals

The sheer volume of exposures to environmental chemicals has been linked to both developmental issues and chronic illness, per the report. It adds that “pesticides, microplastics and dioxins are commonly found in the blood and urine of American children and pregnant women – some at alarming levels.” …

Too little activity, too much stress

“American children are experiencing unprecedented levels of inactivity, screen use, sleep deprivation and chronic stress,” the commissioners wrote.

Screens – from TVs to cell phones to computers to video games – get much of the blame for the fact that children are more sedentary than in previous generations. And that can contribute to loneliness, chronic stress and too little sleep, per the authors….

Overprescribed and unable to thrive

The report calls the trend of overprescribing medication for children, “often driven by conflicts of interest in medical research, regulation and practice,” cause for concern that leads to treatments that are not needed and long-term health risks.

Aggressively treating increases in childhood chronic disease with prescription drugs may, in the commission’s view, “cause further harm to the health of American children when used inappropriately.” …

Use of prescription antidepressants increased even more for teens, rising 1400% from the late 1980s to 2014, though psychotherapy had been shown to be more effective short term and potentially long term.

The report also notes that the rise in use of antipsychotic medication in children was substantial, but the prescriptions were not even written for conditions the FDA had approved their use … for children.

Antibiotics were also overprescribed for children and infants and could lead to long-term problems like asthma, allergic rhinitis, obesity and other conditions, per the report.

The report also notes the need to balance benefits and risks of vaccines and to allow parents more say in whether children receive certain vaccines, as well as more testing of vaccines against placebo in rigorous clinical trials….

Communities, states, and nations are only as strong as the individuals and families residing in them. One way to strengthen communities, states, and nations is to have healthy children, individuals, and families.

Are You a Handmaiden to the Patriarchy?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the fact that men and women can work together for the good of their family, community, state, and nation if they respect and honor the talents, gifts, and attributes of each other. However, they must understand that male and female are not the same and do not have the same strengths and attributes.

According to failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, all conservative women are “handmaidens.” She made the comment while speaking at an event in New York City earlier in May, according to Virginia Allen at The Daily Signal. 

“Well, first of all, don’t be a handmaiden to the patriarchy, which kind of eliminates every woman on the [Republican] side of the aisle, except for very few,” Clinton, 77, said when asked what advice she would give to the first female president.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., are among the “few” Republican women who don’t bow down to the patriarchy, according to Clinton.

Clinton made the comment during a discussion at New York City’s 92^nd Street Y on My 1, adding that the U.S. electing a female president is “so much harder than it should be.” …

“If a woman runs who I think would be a good president … I will support that woman,” Clinton said….

Clinton’s comments reveal a bizarre strategy on the political Left – bash anyone who thinks differently than she does, and then act surprised and play the victim when the same people you berated don’t support you.

Speaking as conservative women who have worked hard to earn countless opportunities from male and female bosses alike who also happen to be conservative, it’s both insulting and laughable to call women who believe in traditional values and protecting the unborn “handmaidens to the patriarchy.”

I am a conservative woman and “believe in traditional values and protecting the unborn.” Therefore, I am a “handmaiden to the patriarchy,” according to Hillary Clinton. However, there are other reasons why I could be considered to be such a handmaiden.

One reason is that I hope to never be considered in any way to be similar to Hilary Clinton, Lisa Murkowski, or Liz Cheney. As far as I am concerned, all three of them are an embarrassment to their states and nation because their thought processes leave much to be desired.

A second reason is that I do not particularly desire to have a woman as the President of the United States. To understand my reasoning, we just need to look at the administrations of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Biden was weak, and other nations took advantage of America. Trump is a strong President, and he has exerted himself as the leader of the free world. Most women would be treated the same way that Biden was treated. America needs strength in the Oval Office – not weakness!

The most important reason I am pleased to be called a “handmaiden of the patriarchy” is because I understand that the patriarchy is part of the plan of Heavenly Father for the eternal happiness of His spirit children.

In “The Family – A Proclamation to the World,” modern-day prophets and apostles taught and testified that Heavenly Father has a plan for our eternal happiness. Part of that plan is the ordination of marriage between a man and a woman. In God’s plan, a man becomes the patriarch in his newly formed marriage. His responsibility is to preside over, provide for, and protect his wife and children. He collaborates with his wife to teach and care for their children as equal partners. The main job of the wife is to bear and nurture children. 

Although I believe that women can do almost everything that a man can do, there are numerous things that I do not believe that women should do. Even though some women can meet the same military requirements as men, I do believe that women should be on the front lines of battle. I prefer that women be in a protected status and not put in situations where they can be raped and otherwise compromised. I see no reason women cannot serve in support positions in the military.

Men and women should work together and support each other in their marriage and family as well as in church and community organizations. Women and men think and feel differently and can bring different talents and skills to a situation. However, a woman’s first obligation is to her marriage and family, and she may not be able to give them sufficient time and energy if she is leading out in business, service in the military, or otherwise working away from home.

In my point of view, motherhood is the most essential career for women. She helps to prepare her sons and daughters to take their places in society. If she does her job well, there is a greater chance that her family and society will be healthy and happy. In addition, her best opportunity to spread her influence for good is through the lives of her children and grandchildren.

Will GOP Unify, or Continue to Screw Around with the Budget?

Republicans are coming down to the wire on the budget. Only time will tell if they move the legislation fast enough to protect the Trump tax cuts. While most of the GOP are unified in working to get a bill over the finish line, there are some Republicans in the House of Representatives who are making demands, according to George Caldwell at The Daily Signal.

Fiscal hawks want to the bill to implement requirements for work in Medicaid, and they want the implementation to be sooner rather than later. Most people understand that able-bodied adults should be working and paying their own way in life instead of dipping into funds meant for children and disabled adults.

Republicans in blue states comprise another group that is making demands. They want “a higher cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions against federal taxes.” Such deductions would “lessen the effects of blue states’ high tax rates.” This means that American taxpayers nationwide would be paying for the bad policies in Democrat-run states.

President Donald Trump met with the House GOP Conference on Tuesday, and “moderate Republicans are hoping that his stern command to unify will bring holdouts into line to vote for the budget reconciliation bill.” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) reported that Trump told the group to stop screwing around with the bill and get it across the finish line. Trump’s tough language apparently irritated some Republicans in the meeting.

There are numerous reasons why the bill should pass both the House and the Senate as quickly as possible. One reason is that Trump’s first-term 2017 tax cuts will end at the end of 2025. Another reason is that Tom Holman and his associates need funding if they are to deport ten to twenty million illegal immigrants. Holman said that he has been on Capital Hill numerous times trying to help move the bill along. A third reason is that funding is needed to build a wall along our southern border and include technical and aerial assets to help defend the sovereignty of the nation.

Although “major disagreements remain,” there are “many Republicans [who] are calling for those members to put their disagreements to the side. The bill is set on a fast timeline, as it will go to the House Rules Committee for a vote at 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, which would clear the way for a floor vote.” By the time that this essay is posted, we should know if the bill was moved out of the House Rules Committee. Caldwell wrote the following in his article.

“[The meeting] also reminded them that Donald Trump is a singular powerful political figure, and that he is fatigued by us messing around with this thing, as is much of America. It is time to land this plane, and my colleagues increasingly are coming to understand that is the cold, hard truth. This is a good bill. Let’s pass it,” Johnson said to The Daily Signal.

Johnson also argued that supporting the bill, despite its shortcomings, is the pragmatic thing to do.

“This bill is not perfect; it does not cut enough. If I was the only member of the House, we would probably cut another $500 billion or $1 trillion. But politics is the art of the possible, and this is the largest deficit-reduction measure in a generation,” he said, adding:

“And so, although it does not go far enough, it is a heck of a lot better than failure, which would increase taxes on 80% of American families.”

Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., similarly said she hopes that Trump’s visit to the Capitol will unify Republicans.

“My impression is that President Trump’s message was widely, very well received this morning. He was clear that we’re probably not all going to get everything that we want in this package, but the things that we’re doing, as we mentioned in this press conference, are transformational,” she said.

“I think the message was well received, and I think we’re getting closer to having a consensus product,” she said.

“He was direct with us on what he expected. He was also in very good spirits, as was everybody in the room. It was a good time with the president to hear from him, to get his vision for what he wants us to do in the next week or so.”

  

Is the Joe Biden Presidency the Biggest Scandal in American History?

This past week has been bad for former President Joe Biden. The Robert Hur interview audio tapes were released last Friday and showed the incapacity of President Biden. It was so bad that the legacy media is now covering Biden’s mental incapacity. The Hur report was surprising only if someone has not seen or listened to Biden over the past four years.

On Saturday, Biden announced that he had advanced prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. Why was it allowed to become reach stage four without treatment, or was it being treated and not disclosed to the American people?

The mental capacity of a president is critical for making the necessary decisions as President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief. The question that many people are asking is: Who was running the country? The Hur interview showed that Biden was incapable of making the tough decisions necessary, and treatment for cancer would just make the matter worse.

In his article published at The Daily Signal, Jarrett Stepman shared information on other POTUS’s that had cancer, and he discussed President Woodrow Wilson who was incapacitated at the end of his presidency following several small strokes. It is common knowledge that his wife was running the country. “There was no widespread attempt to fool the American people and ensure another term” of office as there was for Joe Biden. Stepman continued his discussion. 

The situation with Biden was much, much worse, the cover-up far more extensive, and the consequences were far more potentially dire in the age of instant communication and weapons capable of quickly destroying all of human civilization.

How shall we think of those years in which multiple crises developed around the globe, Americans were mass deprived of employment due to government-forced vaccinations, states were browbeaten to allow children to get life-altering hormones, and an ultimately victorious presidential candidate was nearly jailed? …

But Biden was in some way the mirror opposite. Despite being elected in a highly contested election, he seems to have never really assumed his responsibilities. Biden’s lethargy was only matched by his lack of transparency.

The better word for Biden would be “his irrelevancy.”

… the federal apparatus operated on its own.

This was rule by “experts,” or really rule by the managerial class that re-created the old spoils system but made it totally unaccountable to the American people.

Decisions were carried out by vast, interlocking agencies at the behest of their Democratic Party allies whom they serve.

This was the first fully deep-state presidency.

Biden was awarded by the Democratic Party with the nominal career-capping title as president, but the functions and even the decisions demanded of his office were clearly distributed to his subordinates and the federal leviathan.

The result was a complete disaster.

Americans rightly lost faith in their leaders and the elite institutions attached to this corrupted apparatus. U.S. foreign policy was at best strategically adrift. Our enemies around the globe went on the march. The people feared the government more than the government feared them.

The calamity of the Biden administration brought us a second Trump administration and a counterrevolution. If anyone can correct the problems brought about by the Biden administration, it is Donald Trump. Yet, there are many people who continue to hate Trump and some even wish for – and encourage – the assassination of Trump. What fools they are!