Are You Conservative?

                    Polls show that there are more conservatives in the United States than there are liberals.  Polls also show there are more conservative-leaning independents than there are liberal-leaning independents.  There are conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats.  There are also fiscal conservatives and social conservatives.  There are even conservative movies. The real question is, are you a conservative?

                    A dictionary definition of the word "conservative" is as follows:  "inclined to keep things as they are or were in the past; opposed to change, especially any change in traditions; not inclined to take risks; cautious; moderate; of or belonging to a political party pledged to preserve established traditions and to oppose major changes in national institutions…" (World Book Dictionary, p. 442).

                    If you are wondering if you are conservative or liberal, you might try this site.  I thought I was definitely and completely conservative, but my quiz results say that I am only 80% conservative and 20% liberal.  The quiz had some interesting questions where I had to guess. 

If you took the quiz and are still questioning whether you are conservative or liberal, StudentNewsDaily.com has a wonderful article comparing conservative beliefs versus liberal beliefs.  The article starts, "We all want the same things in life.  We want freedom; we want the chance for prosperity; we want as few people suffering as possible; we want healthy children; we want to have crime-free streets.  The argument is how to achieve them…."  The article then lists 21 different issues from abortion to welfare and gives the liberal and the conservative point-of-view on each.  The site is very interesting and informative.

                    Here is an example from this site by using the comparison about abortion.  The liberal viewpoint on abortion is:  "A fetus is not a human life, so it does not have separate individual rights.  The government should provide taxpayer funded abortions for women who cannot afford them.  The decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the government must protect this right.  Women have the right to affordable, safe and legal abortions, including partial birth abortion." 

                    In comparison, the conservative viewpoint on abortion is:  "Human life begins at conception.  Abortion is the murder of a human being.  An unborn baby, as a living human being, has separate rights from those of the mother.  Oppose taxpayer-funded abortion.  Taxpayer dollars should not be used for the government to provide abortions.  Support legislation to prohibit partial birth abortions, called the `Partial Birth Abortion Ban." (Partial Birth Abortion:  the killing of an unborn baby of at least 20 weeks by pulling it out of the birth canal with forceps, but leaving the head inside.  An incision is made in the back of the baby's neck and the brain tissue is suctioned out.  The head is then removed from the uterus.)

                    I had a difficult time with the description of a partial birth abortion!  As a mother and grandmother, I cannot even imagine doing such a terrible thing to a tiny little baby!  These two definitions about abortion show the great difference between the liberal and the conservative viewpoint.  I highly recommend that you check out this site for other comparisons.

                    I found this wonderful video entitled "WhatIs A Conservative?"  It gives a commonsense view of America and describes very well what being conservative means.

                    So, after taking the quiz, reading the comparisons of conservative versus liberal viewpoints, and watching the video, the question remains:  Are you conservative?

Greatness of James Monroe

                    The name of James Monroe came up in a search for a list of conservative Presidents of the United States; therefore, he is our VIP for this week.  Monroe was the fifth President of the United States and the last of the Founders to hold the office.          I wrote an article in April 2010 with the facts of the lifeof James Monroe; therefore, I will include few of the facts and more of his accomplishments and quotes.

                    President Monroe is best remembered for the Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed in 1823.  This policy was historic and warned European countries to not interfere with the free nations of the Western Hemisphere.  While the war with Napoleon was raging in Europe, Spain gave her American colonies little interest.  The colonies took advantage of the situation and declared independence from Spain.  Americans had great sympathy with the Latin-American revolutions and began in 1817 to call for recognition of these new countries. 

Monroe recommended in March 1822 that they be recognized, and he proclaimed the historic Monroe Doctrine to Congress on December 2, 1823.  As part of his speech to Congress, Monroe declared, "The American continents … are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers." 

President Monroe also told Congress, "We owe it, therefore, to candor, and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.  With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we … shall not interfere.  But with the Government … we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power, in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States."

The Monroe Doctrine remains a basic American policy today.   Since I also wrote an article in April 2010 about the Monroe Doctrine, I will not go into more details about it here.  

                    Monroe came to the presidency after more than 40 years of public service.  He began his service to our nation by fighting in the Revolutionary War.  He served in the Virginia Assembly and the Congress of the Confederation and as a United States Senator, and as minister to France, Spain, and Great Britain.  His service also included governor of Virginia.  He obviously was very valuable to our nation during the war of 1812 because he served as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War at the same time.

                    President Monroe is said to have resembled George Washington, a fellow Virginian.  Monroe was tall and rawboned with a military bearing.  He had gray-blue eyes, which "invited confidence."  Almost everyone spoke well of him.

                    The years of the Monroe Administration are known generally as "the era of good feeling" due to the fact that nearly everyone belonged to the same political party and the country prospered from "fast growing industries and settlement of the West."

                    Because the White House was burned by the British during the War of 1812, Monroe and his family maintained a different residence for nine months until the mansion was rebuilt.  They held a public reception on New Year's Day, 1818, to celebrate the reopening of the White House.

                    The Monroe Administration was one of the "most brilliant periods in American diplomacy."  In the 1820 election, Monroe ran unopposed for the presidency and received every electoral vote except one.

Information and all above quotes in this article came from an article by Ralph Ketcham in World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.  13, pp. 734-738.

                    President Monroe was noted for a number of famous quotes during his years of public service.  Wikipedia listed only a few of them.  

                    "It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.  Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found.  The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin."

                    "Peace and good will have been, and will hereafter be, cultivated with all, and by the most faithful regard to justice.  They have been dictated by a love of peace, of economy, and an earnest desire to save the lives of our fellow-citizens from that destruction and our country from that devastation which are inseparable from war when it finds us unprepared for it."

                    "The best form of government is that which is most likely to prevent the greatest sum of evil."

                    "Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success so complete.  If we look to the history of other nations, ancient or modern, we find no example of a growth so rapid, so gigantic, of a people so prosperous and happy."

                    "Such, then, being the highly favored condition of our country, it is in the interest of every citizen to maintain it.  What are the dangers which menace us?  If any exist, they ought to be ascertained and guarded against."

                    "We must support our rights or lose our character, and with it, perhaps, our liberties.  A people who fail to do it can scarcely be said to hold a place among independent nations.  National honor is national property of the highest value.  The sentiment in the mind of every citizen is national strength.  It ought therefore to be cherished."

No Direct Taxes

                    The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from Article I.9.4:  "No … direct Tax shall be laid [unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.]"  This provision in the Constitution guaranteed that no citizen, no matter where they lived, would have any direct taxes levied against their person or property except in proportion to the population of their state.

                    "A direct tax is one which is levied against a person (head tax), his property (property tax), or his income (personal income tax).  Notice that in all of these the taxpayer must pay `directly.'  In other words, he cannot pass the tax along to anyone else.

                    "On the other hand, an `indirect' tax is one which is placed on finished goods or those in process of being manufactured.  Any tax paid by the manufacturer or distributor is passed on to the consumer.  This means that the only person actually paying the tax is the consumer.  He may not realize it, but he has paid the tax `indirectly.'  For this reason, the many hidden taxes on a loaf of bread or other staples are paid for by the consumer `indirectly.'  However, when he pays a poll tax, property tax, or income tax, he is paying taxes directly."  (See W. Cleon Skousen in The Making of America - The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, pp. 478-479.)

                    When I first read the above information, I wondered why I have to pay income taxes.  It appears that this clause in the Constitution was amended in 1913 with the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment:  "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration." 

                    "Direct taxes, which were expected to be used only in emergencies, did not have the built-in protections characteristic of indirect taxes.  Direct taxes were imposed directly on individuals, who, it was assumed, could not shift their liability to others.  If a tax was not indirect, the Framers thought it should be apportioned.  Capitation and land taxes were direct under this understanding, but so might other taxes be, whether known in 1787 or not.  If nothing else, a broader understanding of `direct taxes' should require that the constitutional character of any proposed tax be studied before it is enacted in an unapportioned form."  (See Erik M. Jensen in The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, p. 160.) 

Adversity and Growth

                    Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people?  Adversity comes to everyone at one time or another to test us and to try us.  We can avoid some bad things, but we cannot avoid all tests and trials.  Understanding why we experience adversity and how to prepare for future bad times can help us to learn and grow from our adversities. 

                    "Diane Ellingson loved gymnastics.  She worked hard to develop her talent, and she won national (United States) championships while she was in high school and college.  She was planning to participate in a national gymnastics tour with several famous gymnasts, but during practice for that tour she came off a vault and landed wrong, breaking her neck.  The injury paralyzed her.  She would never participate in gymnastics again; she would never even be able to walk again.

                    "Diane spent months in the hospital after her accident.  During the first few months, she felt despair and frustration.  She received a priesthood blessing, which did not promise her that she would be healed but did bring her great peace.  Finally she realized, `I can either give up or get on with my life.'  She learned to use a wheelchair and take care of herself again.  After she got out of the hospital, she went back to college, graduated, and became an elementary school teacher.  She also gives talks to young people to help them overcome discouragement and adversity.  Diane says, `People always think, "You're so amazing, you're so incredible,"' but I'm not….  You have to take whatever life gives you and deal with it, even if you might not want to….  You just learn and that's what's so great about time and the healing process.  You don't have to be miraculous."  (See Kendra Kasl Phair, "A Champion Again," New Era, Nov. 1988, 21-25; see also Renon Klossner Hulet, "Matters of Balance," Ensign, Dec. 1992, 63.)

                    When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they did not experience any sorrow, pain, sickness or death.  They did not worry about work because food grew without any effort from them.  After Eve, and then Adam, partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and came to know a much different kind of life.  They had to work very hard in order to have food, clothing, shelter and other necessary items.  They also became subject to sorrow, pain, sickness and death.

                    Our lives are very much like those of Adam and Eve.  We too must work very hard for the necessities of life, and we too experience sorrow, pain, sickness, and death.  When we used our agency and chose to come to earth to receive a physical body and gain experience, we also chose to face adversity.  Every person that has ever lived on earth has had to deal with adversity.  Our tests and trials may be different, but we all have them.

                    Why does adversity have to be a part of our mortal existence?   Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explained:  "Trials, disappointments, sadness, and heartache come to us from two basically different sources.  Those who transgress the laws of God will always have those challenges.  The other reason for adversity is to accomplish the Lord's own purposes in our life that we may receive the refinement that comes from testing….  [Some trials] are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more" (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16).

                    Elder Scott explained that adversity comes from "two basically different sources" - sin and refinement.  We can avoid most if not all of the adversity that comes from disobedience to the commandments of God simply by making good and righteous choices.  We can avoid many causes of bad health and addictions merely by obedience to the Word of Wisdom.  We can avoid many family problems and quarrels by being loving and unselfish.  We can avoid all the problems of guilt and legal punishments by obedience to the laws of the land.  These are only a few of the kinds of adversity that we can avoid by making good choices.

                    If our adversity comes as a result of sin, the only way to get rid of or reduce the adversity is to repent of the sin.  There are times when adversity comes into the life of an innocent person because another person exercises his or her agency and chooses to sin.  We cannot avoid this kind of adversity because each person is free to choose his or her own actions.

                    Other kinds of adversity might come into our lives regardless of the choices we make.  No one chooses to develop a disease or disability.  Most people do their best to avoid injuries.  Many financial losses that come through accidents or from weather-related sources cannot be avoided.  We have all been disappointed when we didn't receive some blessing or desired opportunity.

                    Although we cannot choose to avoid many tests and trials, we are still free to choose whether and how we will react to them or whether we will be proactive about them.  If we consider our tests and trials as opportunities to learn and grow, adversity can actually become a blessing in our lives.   

  

                    Jacob, the son of Lehi, suffered many trials and great sorrows because of the "rudeness" of his older brothers.  Lehi explained to Jacob why we need opposition.

                    "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.  If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.  Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility" (2 Nephi 2:11).

                    Adversity helps us to appreciate our blessings just as sickness helps us to cherish good health.  Dreary, dark and rainy days make us appreciate bright sunshine.  Hot, arid weather makes us appreciate the cooling rain.  Sub-arctic temperatures help us to better appreciate normal winter weather.

                    When we are in the midst of adversity, we sometimes forget our blessings.  It is difficult for us to remember that tests and trials may be for our own good.  It may be helpful to make a list of trials and the lessons learned during those tests.  I'll share an example from my own life to show why this exercise could be helpful.  I hurt my lower back in February 2011 and received no relief at all until fall.  Although my back was slowly recovering, it was not until early January that I truly recognized the difference.  I was at Costco pushing a heavily-laden cart across the parking lot when I realized that my back didn't hurt at all.  I was so very grateful that I sent a silent "thank you" heaven-ward rather than waiting until I could get on my knees!  Another example would be my new-found appreciation for all the snow.  I was searching for a reason to appreciate the snow when this thought came to me:  The deep snow insulates the ground from the sub-zero temperatures and keeps the frost from going deeper into the ground.

                    When we face adversity, it is helpful to remember that Heavenly Father loves us and knows what is best for us.  While we may not understand how a particular trial or experience can be for our good, Heavenly Father does understand, and He will help us to understand in his own time and way.

                    Elder Hugh B. Brown, while a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told the following story:  "I was living up in Canada.  I had purchased a farm….  I went out one morning and saw a currant bush.  It had grown up over six feet high.  It was going all to wood.  There were no blossoms and no currants.  I was raised on a fruit farm… and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush.  So I got some pruning shears and went after it, and I cut it down, and pruned it, and clipped it back until there was nothing left but a little clump of stumps.  It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying….  I looked at it, and smiled, and said, `What are you crying about?'  You know, I thought I heard that currant bush talk, and I thought I heard it say this:  `How could you do this to me?  I was making such wonderful growth.  I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down.'  … I said, `Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be.  I didn't intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree.  I want you to be a currant bush, and some day, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, "`"Thank you, Mr. Gardener"'."  (See "The Currant Bush," New Era, Jan. 1973, 14.)

                    The gardener showed his concerned for the currant bush by cutting it back so it could reach its full potential as a currant bush.  Heavenly Father is the gardener in our lives, and sometimes he cuts us back in order that we can become what He wants us to be.

Elder Brown followed the story about the currant bush with a similar story from his own life.  He had been bitterly disappointed when he was denied a military promotion for the simple reason that he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Years later, he looked back, and realized that his life was better than it would have been if he had received that promotion.  He was a stronger member of the Church and more the person that Heavenly Father wanted him to be.

                    I know that Heavenly Father loves us and knows what is best for each of us.  If we strive to live righteously and learn as we endure our trials, these adversities will be for our good and help us become the people Heavenly Father wants us to be.

                    Jesus Christ taught us how to avoid many kinds of adversity:  "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

                    "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.

                    "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

                    "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).

                    Why did one house stand and one house fall when both houses endured the same storms?  The difference between the houses was in their foundations.  The house that was built on a rock was able to weather the storms, but the house that was built on the sand was without a firm foundation.

                    Common sense tells us that it is wiser to build our houses on rock than on the sand because strong houses need sure foundations.  Lest there be any doubt about the rock described by Christ, an ancient-American prophet named Helaman instructed his sons:  "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" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Helaman 5:12).

                    When the Savior spoke about building our houses on a rock, He of course was telling us to build our lives on his teachings and on the principles of his gospel.  We do not know what kinds of adversity may come our way, but we can prepare and strengthen ourselves and our families to face difficult times.

                    Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated:  "Life never was intended to be easy.  Rather, it is a period of proving and growth.  It is interwoven with difficulties, challenges, and burdens….  Yet these very forces, if squarely faced, provide opportunity for tremendous personal growth and development.  The conquering of adversity produces strength of character, forges self-confidence, engenders self-respect, and assures success in righteous endeavor."  (See Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11.)

                    Everyone will face adversity.  We knew before we even came to earth that we would be tested and tried.  We can better prepare for and deal with adversity if we realize that we were willing to endure adversity in order to have the mortal experience.  The best way to prepare for adversity is to build our house upon the rock of Jesus Christ, meaning to keep his commandments and live according to the doctrines and principles of his gospel. 

                    When the Prophet Joseph Smith cried out to the Lord from the depths of his adversity and afflictions while in the Liberty Jail, the Lord told him:  "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7; italics added.)

                    Sincere and frequent prayer helps us to endure adversity.  We can prepare for adversity by making personal prayer a part of our daily lives.  When I find myself in a difficult situation, I remember the words of the Lord to Joseph Smith and keep repeating, "This will give me experience and be for my good!"  I also ask myself often, "What can I learn from this experience?"  Another good question is, "What is there about this situation that I can be grateful for?"

                    I know that adversity can help us gain more knowledge, grow stronger, and become better people, and that our experience will be for our good if we handle it positively.  Let us treat our tests and trials as opportunities to learn and grow!

Spheres of Influence

                    Families grow stronger when we recognize that we all live within two spheres or circles - our circle of concern and our sphere of influence.  We strengthen our families when we concentrate on those things that we can actually do something about rather than worrying about all those things in the world that concern us.

                    Stephen R. Covey wrote in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families:  "The Circle of Concern is a large circle that embraces everything in your life that you may be concerned about.  The Circle of Influence is a smaller circle within the Circle of Concern that embraces the things you can actually do something about.

                    "The reactive tendency is to focus on the Circle of Concern, but this only causes the inner Circle of Influence to be diminished.  The nature of energy focused on the outer Circle of Concern is negative.  And when you combine that negative energy with neglect of the Circle of Influence, inevitably the Circle of Influence gets smaller.

                    "But proactive people focus on their Circle of Influence.  As a result, that circle increases….

                    "One of the best ways to tell whether you're in your Circle of Influence or Circle of Concern is to listen to your own language.  If you're in your Circle of Concern, your language will be blaming, accusing, reactive. 

                    "If you're in your Circle of Influence, your language will be proactive.  It will reflect a focus on the things you can do something about." 

                    Each of us has a circle of influence or sphere of action.  The following information is from a lesson I taught in Relief Society a few weeks ago; therefore, it will be directed towards women - daughters, wives, mothers, etc.  That does not however say that males cannot learn from this material.  I took the bulk of my lesson from a chapter in Daughters in My Kingdom entitled "A Wide and Extensive Sphere of Action".  I found the material to be very interesting, especially in light of my understanding about Covey's circle of influence.

                    The information in the two books reminded me of the "Serenity Prayer" of Saint Francis:  "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

                    One of the comments during my lesson made an impact on me.  A sister reminded me that a "circle" is one-dimensional while a "sphere" is multi-dimensional.  It is important for all of us to remember that our influence is felt by many different people with many different problems and in many different areas of our lives.  It is particularly critical that we remember this fact as we interact within our families.  We can get so caught up worrying about all the things that are happening in our communities and nation (circle of concern) that we are too busy or too paralyzed to operate within our sphere of influence - accomplishing those things within our family that we can actually do something about.

                    The Relief Society of Nauvoo was organized with twenty women on March 17, 1842, and grew to eleven hundred women within six months.  The sisters of Relief Society did much to strengthen their families and this society until the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered on June 27, 1844, and the Saints were driven out of Nauvoo.  The sisters continued to bring relief wherever they could as they moved across the Plains, but there were no formal Relief Society meetings until twenty years after the Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. 

                    On December 26, 1866, President Brigham Young expressed his desire to reestablish Relief Society.  The next year he felt increased urgency to assist the bishops in their responsibility to find those who were in need.  He told the bishops to organize Relief Societies in their wards and to give the sisters "the benefit of your wisdom and experience, give them your influence, guide and direct them wisely and well, and they will find rooms for the poor and obtain the means for supporting them ten times quicker than even the Bishop could" (p 41).

                    President Young called Eliza R. Snow to travel throughout the Utah Territory to help the bishops organize Relief Societies.  Sister Snow was especially capable of doing this task because she was one of the original twenty members of Relief Society.  As the secretary of the organization, she kept detailed minutes of the meetings, especially the instructions that Joseph Smith gave to the sisters.  She took her minute book when she left Nauvoo, and she kept it safe all the way across the Plains and for nearly twenty years after arriving in the Valley.  "She understood the importance of what had been taught to the sisters in those meetings. She knew how the society should be structured, and she remembered the principles upon which it was established.  She understood that the organization [for the women] was a fundamental part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

                    Sister Snow explained that "It is no ordinary thing to meet in an organization of this nature.  This organization belongs to the organization of the Church of Christ, in all dispensations when it is in perfection."  She also said, "If any of the daughters and mothers in Israel are feeling in the least [limited] in their present spheres, they will now find ample scope for every power and capability for doing good with which they are most liberally endowed.  … President Young has turned the key to a wide and extensive sphere of action and usefulness" (p 44).

                    Sister Snow spent much time and traveled many miles to teach the sisters to enlarge their spheres of action.  Charity continued to be the foundation of all things, both spiritual and physical, in the work the sisters accomplished.  They delighted in doing the right things and to deal rightly to others in kindness, love, and charity to all.

                    Through the reorganization of the Relief Society, the sisters were taught to turn from worldly influences - frivolous and immodest behavior and clothing - and to set themselves apart from the rest of the world in good and righteous ways.  They were taught that individuals could receive personal revelation from God to guide them in their personal lives and in their family and Church responsibilities.  They were taught to "seek for wisdom instead of power and they will have all the power they have wisdom to exercise" (45).  The sisters were taught to defend marriage and their way of life while living the law of plural marriage.  Sister Snow said, "It was high time [to] rise up in the dignity of our calling and speak for ourselves….  The world does not know us, and truth and justice to our brethren and to ourselves demands us to speak….  We are not inferior to the ladies of the world, and we do not want to appear so" (p 47).

                    In the late 1860s the United States government passed legislation forbidding polygamous marriages, began imprisoning men who had plural wives, and threatened to confiscate all Church property if plural marriage did not come to an end.  President Wilford Woodruff went to the Lord in 1890 about the problem and received a revelation that led to the Church's discontinuance of the practice of plural marriage.  He wrote this revelation in a document known as the Manifesto and said, "The God of heaven commanded me to do what I did do; and when the hour came that I was commanded to do that, it was all clear to me.  I went before the Lord, and I wrote what the Lord told me to write."

                    "The women of the Church who, by revelation, embraced plural marriage and who, by revelation, later accepted the Manifesto are worthy of admiration and appreciation.  They were strictly obedient to their covenants and the counsel of the living prophet.  Today these women are honored by their faithful posterity" (p 48).

                    Helen Mar Whitney, who lived the law of plural marriage, wrote, "We may read the history of martyrs and mighty conquerors, and of many great and good men and women, but that of the noble women and fair daughters of Zion, whose faith in the promises of Israel's God enabled them to triumph over self and obey His higher law, and assist His servants to establish it upon the earth, … I feel sure there was kept by the angels an account of their works which will yet be found in the records of eternity, written in letters of gold" (p 49).

                    Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still believe in the principle of plural marriage, but no faithful members of the Church practice plural marriage today and no faithful members have done so since 1890.  One of the important tenets of our faith is that we believe in "obeying, honoring and sustaining the law" of the land.

                    Relief Society sisters and priesthood brethren today are involved in defending marriage - the lawful and legal union of one man and one woman.  We must be as fearless in defending this type of marriage as our pioneer sisters were in defending plural marriage.  One of the best places we can do this in within our sphere of influence - our family and friends.

                    The sisters were also taught the importance of knowing the scriptures and being able to expound our beliefs articulately.  President Spencer W. Kimball said, "I stress … the deep need each woman has to study the scriptures.  We want our homes to be blessed with sister scriptorians - whether you are single or married, young or old, widowed or living in a family.

                    "Regardless of your particular circumstances, as you become more and more familiar with the truths of the scriptures, you will be more and more effective in keeping the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.  Become scholars of the scriptures - not to put others down, but to lift them up!  After all, who has any greater need to `treasure up' the truths of the gospel (on which they may call in their moments of need) than do women and mothers who do so much nurturing and teaching?"

                    President Kimball testified that women who "reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives" will become a powerful influence for good upon the "good women of the world" (p 50). 

                    The Relief Society sisters were counseled to become temporally self-reliant and to learn skills that would help them to take care of all their needs.  The sisters were to fulfill their duties at home with their husbands and children as well as to gain sewing skills and learn how to store and use food correctly.  They were encouraged to become educated and even earn degrees in medicine.  The sisters were encouraged to be politically active.  The women of the Utah Territory were granted the right to vote in February 1870.  At that time, the only other place in the United States where women could vote was in the Wyoming Territory.  The right for women to vote was rescinded by the federal government as part of the punishment for continuing to live the law of plural marriage.  Even though the women could not vote, they remained vocal and articulate about their rights and regained their voting rights when Utah became a state.  They also earned the respect of other women's movements in the United States and other parts of the world.

                    The Relief Society supported a newspaper titled the Woman's Exponent, which was written for Latter-day Saint women to help them learn about their work, their lives, and their history.  This newspaper was discontinued in 1914 after 42 years of publication; the next year the Relief Society began publishing the Relief Society Magazine.  I remember well this magazine coming to our home because it had wonderful stories in it.  I often read the stories before my mother even saw the magazine! 

                    The sisters of Relief Society were encouraged to be involved in teaching and training children and young women and were instrumental in strengthening the rising generation.   In 1880 President John Taylor extended callings to sisters for general presidencies in three different organizations:  the Relief Society for the women, a Young Women's society for teenage girls, and the Primary organization for children under age twelve.

                    The reestablishment of the Relief Society blessed the lives of Latter-day Saint women and led to greater responsibilities and greater opportunities for them.  Sister Snow declared:  "Don't you see that our sphere is increasing?  Our sphere of action will continually widen, and no woman in Zion need[s] to mourn because her sphere is too narrow.

                    "God bless you, my sisters, and encourage you, that you may be filled with light, and realize that you have no interests but in the welfare of Zion.  Let your first business be to perform your duties at home.  But, inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for social duties, because these are incumbent upon us as daughters and mothers in Zion.  By seeking to perform every duty you will find that your capacity will increase, and you will be astonished at what you can accomplish" (pp 58-59).

                    President Lorenzo Snow counseled many years later:  "This is what we desire to instill in the hearts of the sisters - to be useful in their sphere and not be discouraged because of difficulties in the way, but trust in God and look to Him, and His marvelous blessings, I will promise you, will be poured out upon you" (p 43).

                    Our sphere of influence may be only our home.  If we do our work well enough, our children will leave our home well prepared to take their place in the world and to influence all those who come within their spheres of action.  My sphere of influence has grown much larger since my children became adults and have homes of their own.  I still have influence over my children, but I also can influence their children and by extension those who meet my children and grandchildren.  My sphere of influence will continue to grow throughout eternity as long as I focus on those things I actually can do something about.  In this way, I can continue to help my family to grow stronger.

   

Political Power

                    The topic of discussion for this Freedom Friday is that the ideal circumstances for freedom is for the political power to be in the center and not either far "right" or far "left."  Our Founding Fathers had a way to measure the political power of any selected type of government that is different than the "yardstick" we use today.  The Founders did not measure political issues in the terms we use today.  When we think of Democrats being on the left and Republicans being on the right or in terms of leftist or rightist, do we really understand what we are talking about?

                    The terms "Left" and "Right" refer to the way the various parties are seated in the European parliaments.  The radical revolutionaries sit on the far left, and the military dictators sit on the far right; all other parties sit somewhere in the middle.  The people in the farthest left group are usually communists, and the people in the farthest right group are usually fascists - even though communists and fascists are simply two different names for the police state and are practically identical.

                    Government is considered to be a "system for ruling or controlling."  Since the Founders understood this meaning of the word, they realized that the yardstick to measure any system of government was political power.  The Founders took their imaginary yardstick and marked one end anarchy and the other end tyranny.  The Founders considered anarchy to be the name or description of no government, no law, and no control, and they considered tyranny to be the opposite extreme or too much government, control, and oppression.  The Founders wanted to establish a government that was mid-way between the two extremes; they wanted a system where there was "enough government to maintain security, justice, and good order, but not enough government to abuse the people."

                    Our Founders wanted their fellow Americans to recognize the "subversive characteristics of oppressive Ruler's Law which they identified primarily with a tyrannical monarchy.  Here are its basic characteristics:  1) Authority under Ruler's Law is nearly always established by force, violence and conquest.  2) Therefore, all sovereign power is considered to be in the conqueror or his descendants.  3) The people are not equal, but are divided into classes, and are all looked upon as subjects of the king.  4) The entire country is considered to be the property of the ruler, who speaks of it as his `realm.'  5) The thrust of government power is from the top down, not from the people upward.  6) The people have no unalienable rights.  The King giveth and the King taketh away.  7) Government is by the whims of men, not by the fixed rule of law which the people need in order to govern the affairs with confidence.  8) The Ruler issues edicts which are called `The Law,' who then interprets the law and enforces it, thus maintaining tyrannical control over the people.  9) Problems are always solved by issuing more edicts or laws, setting up more bureaus, harassing the people with more regulators, and charging the people for these `services' by continually adding to their burden of taxes.  10) Freedom is never looked upon as a viable solution to anything.  11) The long history of Ruler's Law is one of blood and terror, both anciently and in modern times.  Under it, the people are stratified into an aristocracy of the Ruler's retinue while the law to the common people is one of perpetual poverty, excessive taxation, stringent regulations and a continuous existence of misery."

                    When I read through those characteristics for a tyrannical monarchy, I realized that our government is slowly - and lately not so slowly - moving towards tyranny.  Our government has not yet conquered us by force or violence, but more and more the people in Washington, D.C., considered themselves to be more knowledgeable and better than the common citizen.  President Obama works at keeping the citizenry divided between races, between economic levels, between education levels, etc.  The continual increase in regulations is forcing the government to be from the top down rather than people up.  Our rights are being steadily eroded in the name of "security."  The Constitution apparently doesn't mean much to the Obama Administration, and our President rules by Executive Order or "recess" appointments and not by law.

                    While typing this article, I've been thinking about the differences between the American Revolution and the French Revolution.  The American Revolution consisted of the people rising up against tyranny, establishing independence, and then organizing a government "of the people by the people and for the people."  The French Revolution became anarchy with no law, no control, and no government.  Control and more tyranny came to France in the name of a conqueror.

                    As Americans we need to measure the political power in our nation by the "yardstick" used by the Founders.  Do you think we are moving towards tyranny or anarchy?  What do you think is the best way to keep our government in the center where the political power is in the people?  When the political power is in the center with the people, there is total freedom.

                    Many of the ideas and all of the quotes for this article are from W. Cleon Skousen in The Five Thousand Year Leap - 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World, pp 11-12.  If you do not yet own a copy of this book, I suggest that you purchase a copy of it as soon as your finances will permit.  This book is very informative as to the principles of freedom and will increase your knowledge of freedom.  Any group of people who desires freedom should at least know what freedom is!

                   

                   

Nancy Davis Reagan

                    Nancy Reagan was a perfect wife for Ronald Reagan, and they seemed to have a very happy marriage for more than fifty years.  "Observers described Ronald and Nancy Reagan's relationship as intimate.  As president and first lady, the Reagans were reported to display their affection frequently, with one press secretary noting, `They never took each other for granted.  They never stopped courting.'  Ronald often called Nancy `Mommy'; she called him `Ronnie'.  While the President was recuperating in the hospital after the 1981 assassination attempt, Nancy Reagan wrote in her diary, `Nothing can happen to my Ronnie.  My life would be over.'  In a letter to Nancy, Ronald wrote, whatever I treasure and enjoy … all would be without meaning if I didn't have you.'  In 1998, while here husband was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, Nancy told Vanity Fair, `Our relationship is very special.  We were very much in love and still are.  When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it's true.  It did.  I can't imagine life without him.'  Nancy was known for the focused and attentive look, termed `the Gaze', that she fastened upon her husband during his speeches and appearances.  President Reagan's death in June 2004 ended what Charlton Heston called `the greatest love affair in the history of theAmerican Presidency."  (Wikipedia) 

Nancy was born as Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921, in New York, and was the only child of her parents who divorced soon after her birth.  Her father, Kenneth Seymour Robbins (1894-1972), was a car salesman, and her mother, Edith Luckett (1888-1987), was an actress.  Nancy lived in York until she was about two and then lived with an aunt and uncle in Maryland while her mother traveled the country to pursue an acting career.  When Edith had a job in New York, Nancy's aunt would take her by train to stay with her mother.

                    In 1929 when Nancy was about eight years old, her mother married Loyal Davis (1896-1982) who was "prominent, politically conservative neurosurgeon.  The family moved to Chicago, and Nancy got along well with her stepfather.  She later wrote that he was "a man of great integrity who exemplified old-fashioned values".  Davis legally adopted Nancy in 1935, and she always considered him to be her father.  Since Anne Frances had been commonly known since birth as Nancy, her name was legally changed at the time of her adoption to Nancy Davis.

                    Nancy Davis attended the Girls' Latin School of Chicago where she was an average student.  After her graduation she attended Smith College in Massachusetts where she majored in English and drama.  She graduated in 1943 and worked in Chicago as a sales clerk in a department store and as a nurse's aide.  With the help of her mother's colleagues in theatre - that included Spencer Tracy - Nancy became a professional actress.  Her first part as an actress was a part in Zasu Pitts' 1945 road tour of Ramshackle Inn.  She moved to New York City where she landed the role as a lady-in-waiting in  Lute Song, a 1946 Broadway musical about the Orient that starred Mary Martin and Yul Brynner (before he was a star).  She passed a screen test, moved to California, and signed a seven-year-contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) in 1949.  She considered this experience as "walking into her dream world".   She was usually typecast as a "loyal housewife", "responsible young mother", or "the steady woman" and competed for roles at MGM with Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, and Janet Leigh.  Nancy had an interesting and successful career in acting.

                    Nancy dated many actors during her days in Hollywood, including Clark Gable, Robert Stack, and Peter Lawford.  She met Ronald Reagan on November 15, 1949 while he was president of the Screen Actors Guild.  Her name had appeared on the Hollywood blacklist, and she went to Reagan for help in removing her name from the list as well as maintaining her employment as a guild actress in Hollywood.  Reagan told Nancy that she had been confused with another actress with the same name.  The two started dating, which caused their relationship to be the subject of many gossip columns.  One such account described their relationship as "the romance of a couple who have no vices".

                    Reagan was not looking to marry again because of his painful divorce from Jane Wyman in 1948 and continued to date other women.  Ronald dated Nancy for three years before he proposed to her; they married on March 4, 1952, in a simple ceremony at the Little Brown Church in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.  William Holden and his wife, actress Brenda Marshall, were the only people in attendance and served as best man and matron of honor.  Ronald and Nancy became parents of two children - Patricia Ann Reagan (known professionally by Patti Davis) and Ronald Prescott Reagan.  Nancy also became stepmother to Maureen Reagan and Michael Reagan, children of Reagan's first marriage to Jane Wyman.  The relationships between Nancy and her children and/or stepchildren were never as close as her relationship with her husband and were often controversial.

                    Nancy served as First Lady of California while her husband was Governor Reagan from 1967 to 1975, but she disliked living in Sacramento because it "lacked the excitement, social life, and mile climate" of Los Angeles.  After living in the California Governor's Mansion for four months, fire officials labeled the mansion to be a "firetrap."  The Reagan family rented a home in a wealthy suburb at their own expense but were viewed as "snobbish" by many people.  Nancy supervised the construction of a new ranch-style Governor's Mansion, which was finished just as Governor Reagan left office.  The house was sold in 1982 because Jerry Brown, Reagan's successor, refused to live there, and California's governors have been living in "improvised arrangements" every since.  While her husband was Governor, Nancy began her work with the Foster Grandparents Program.

                    Although Nancy felt that Ronald was the right man to be President of the United States, she was reluctant for him to join the 1976 presidential campaign because she was worried about his health and career.  She eventually approved of the idea and supported her husband by "holding coffees, luncheons, and talks with senior citizens."  She "oversaw personnel, monitored her husband's schedule, and occasionally provided press conferences."

                    Reagan lost the 1976 Republican nomination but ran for the presidency again in 1980.  This time he succeeded in winning the nomination and election.  Nancy's influence on her husband during this campaign was very noticeable, and "her presence at rallies, luncheons, and receptions increased his confidence."

     

                    After Reagan was inaugurated in January 1981, Nancy was often compared to Jackie Kennedy, and she restored the formal glamour of Kennedy years to the White House after the less formal years of the Carter Administration.  She also faced much criticism for purchasing new china, making renovations in the White House, expensive clothing, and attending the wedding of Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales.  People thought she was "out of touch with the American people because the nation was in an economic recession, and she was sometimes referred to as "Queen Nancy". 

                    Early in the Reagan Administration Nancy was criticized because she wanted to make some renovations in the White House to make it a "more suitable" as the "first home" because the building was in a "state of disrepair" because of "years of neglect."  Michael Deaver, an aide in the White House, described the second and third floor family residence as having "cracked plaster walls, chipped paint [and] beaten up floors."  Since the nation had been in a fairly severe recession during the Carter Administration, Nancy sought private donations for the renovation and redecoration rather than use government funds.  The major renovation was directed by Nancy and included all of the second and third floors as well as some rooms adjacent to the Oval Office.  During the renovation walls were repainted, floors were refinished, fireplaces were repaired, and antique pipes, windows, and wires were replaced.  Some White House antiques were taken out of storage and placed throughout the mansion.  Nancy said, "This house belongs to all Americans, and I want it to be something of which they can be proud."

                    Nancy was also criticized for ordering new state china for the White House.  Nancy felt that the White House needed new china "really badly, badly needs china."  The last time that a full china serve had been purchased was during the Truman Administration in the 1940s even though the Johnson Administration purchased a partial service in the 1960.  Nancy worked with Lenox, an American porcelain manufacturer, and chose a "design scheme of a red with etched gold band, bordering the scarlet and cream colored ivory plates with a raised presidential seal etched in gold in the center.   The full service included 4,370 pieces (19 pieces per individual set) and cost $209,508.  The china was paid for by private donations, but Nancy was criticized for spending so much money.

                    Red was Nancy's favorite color, and it was worn often.  Nancy wore red so often that the shade used for fire engines became known as "Reagan red." She was very interested in fashion and social life, and her sense of style was compared to that of Jackie Kennedy.  Nancy's dresses, gowns, and suits were made by luxury designers.  It is said that the overall price for the outfit she wore to the 1981 inaugural was $25,000 with $10,000 for the gown.  The Reagans did not purchase all of the fancy duds worn by Nancy because some of the elegant fashions were borrowed; they would be returned later or donated to museums.  This too was a controversial subject, but the American fashion industry considered the First Lady to be good for their business.   

         

                    Gerald Ford favored the Michigan fight song over "Hail to the Chief," and Jimmy Carter dramatically reduced the formality of presidential functions.  The Reagan Administration brought back the glamour of the Kennedy White House and hosted fifty-six state dinners over eight years.  George and Laura Bush hosted six.

                    Nancy was always protective of her husband and even more so after the 1981 attempt to assassinate him.  She created more controversy when she revealed in 1988 that she received assistant in planning the President's schedule.  Nancy had a strong influence on President Reagan and had a role in a few of his personal and diplomatic decisions.

                    At the end of the Reagan Administration in 1989, the President and Nancy retired to their home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California.  President Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994 and publicly disclosed his illness.  Nancy devoted her time and energy in caring for President Reagan until his death in 2004.  She remains active with the Reagan Library, in politics, and in supporting stem-cell research.

                    I really like President Reagan and his First Lady.  They came to the White House following four very dark years of the Carter Administration.  They were leaders first, but they were good examples for the American way of life.  I was always very pleased that they were our First Couple.

                    Facts and quotes are from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Reagan