Other Trials

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from Article III, Section 2, and Clause 3:  “When [a crime is] not committed within any state, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.”  This provision in the Constitution states that Congress will designate the place of trials of any crimes committed outside of any state, such as territories or on the open sea.

                W. Cleon Skousen explained, “In the Northwest Ordinance, passed in 1787 – the same year the Constitution was written – Congress had provided for the administrative affairs of the one major territory that was under its jurisdiction at that time.  However, there were other regions for which no provision was made.  In the above section the Founders indicated that any judicial questions outside of any state or on the high seas should be settled in a manner dictated by Congress” (The Making of America – The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, p. 621).

Meaningful Sacrament

                As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have the opportunity each week to partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants with God.  To make this experience more meaningful, we should examine our lives carefully, ponder the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and consider what we need to do to repent of our sins.  We do not need to be perfect in order to partake of the sacrament, but we should have a spirit of humility and repentance in our hearts.  When we place proper priority on the sacrament, it can become a source of strength as well as an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to living the gospel.

                Matthew, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, shared his experience of the first sacrament:  “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

                “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

                “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

                Can you imagine being in the presence of our Savior as He blessed and passed the bread and water?  When I first considered this question, my thoughts were about how wonderful it would be to see the Savior and be in His presence.  Then I realized that I can have a similar experience every Sunday if I go to sacrament meeting prepared to grow spiritually.  I probably will not see the Savior, but I can feel His presence.

                 I have enjoyed many spiritual experiences during sacrament meeting.  One of the most powerful ones came as I was pondering if I would recognize the Savior and how I would act in His presence.  I was blessed with a three-second vision of myself kneeling at His feet and knew that I would recognize Him because I would feel His presence as well as see Him.

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that we live in the perilous times prophesied by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1 and can “be distracted, degraded, downhearted, or depressed” by the world around us.  He said that the Lord gave the answer in modern revelation when He renewed the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  With the Lord’s renewal, He also gave us a promise.

                “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

                “For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10.

                Sacrament meeting is the “most sacred and important meeting in the Church” because of the ordinance of the sacrament.  We can make this meeting and the ordinance more meaningful by being prepared to have a spiritual experience.  We should dress in an appropriate manner for a sacred meeting.  Elder Oaks said, “Our manner of dress indicates the degree to which we understand and honor the ordinance in which we will participate.”  We should come to the meeting with “a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”  We should be seated before the meeting begins in order to listen to the prelude music and to bring our spirits in tune with the Spirit of the Lord.  Elder Oaks said that “we should concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities, especially from behavior that could interfere with the worship of others.”  (“Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, November2008, pp. 17-20).  

                Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about “coming to ourselves” by the way we partake of the sacrament, participate in temple service, and sacrifice in service.  “We become converted and spiritually self-reliant as we prayerfully live our covenants – through worthily partaking of the sacrament, being worthy of a temple recommend, and sacrificing to serve others.

                “To worthily partake of the sacrament, we remember that we are renewing the covenant we made at baptism.  For the sacrament to be a spiritually cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to sacrament meeting.  We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and recreation and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns.  As we do, we make room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost.

                “Then we are prepared to ponder on the Atonement.  More than just thinking about the facts of the Savior’s suffering and death, our pondering helps us to recognize that through the Savior’s sacrifice, we have the hope, opportunity, and strength to make real, heartfelt changes in our lives.

                “As we sing the sacrament hymn, participate in the sacrament prayers, and partake of the emblems of His flesh and blood, we prayerfully seek forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings.  We think about the promises we made and kept during the previous week and make specific personal commitments to follow the Savior during the coming week” (“Coming to Ourselves:  The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service,” Ensign, May 2012, pp.34-36).  

                Elder Don R. Clarke of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke about the blessings of the sacrament.  “If we properly prepare for the sacrament, we can transform our lives.  I would like to suggest five principles that can bless our lives as we partake of the sacrament worthily. 1) The first principle is to have a feeling of gratitude to Heavenly Father during the sacrament for the Atonement of His Son.  2) The second principle is to remember that we are renewing our baptismal covenants as we partake of the sacrament….  The sacramental prayers are a reminder of these covenants.  3) Thirdly, during the sacrament we can feel forgiven of our sins.  If we have spent time before sacrament meeting repenting of our sins, we can leave sacrament meeting feeling clean and pure.  4) The fourth principle is that we can receive inspiration for solutions to our problems during sacrament meeting….  As we humbly come to sacrament meeting, we can be blessed to feel impressions for solutions to our daily problems.  We must come prepared, be willing to listen, and not be distracted.  5) The fifth principle, partaking of the sacrament worthily, will help us be filled with the Holy Ghost….  The sacramental prayer also promises that if we live up to our covenants, we will always have His Spirit to be with us” (“Blessings of the Sacrament,” Ensign, November 2012, pp. 104-106).  

                I know that we can each do something to make our sacrament experiences more meaningful.  I know that we can bring more blessings into our lives by making sacrament meeting the most important part of our Sabbath Day.  I encourage you to consider what you can do to make the sacrament more meaningful to you.

Positive Thoughts

                We can strengthen our children by helping them to understand the importance of their thoughts and teaching them to think positively rather than negatively.  Our thoughts determine what we will become.  When we think positive thoughts, we bring light and goodness into our lives.  When we concentrate on the bad things in our lives or in the world around us, we bring darkness into our lives.  Since light is much better for personal growth than darkness, we should cultivate light and help our children to do the same.

                I do not know if the following story really happened or if it is just fiction, but I do know that it has a wonderful moral.  In either case, it is a beautiful, inspiring, and touching story as well as a humbling lesson.  It describes how one man brought light and goodness into the life of his friend by thinking beautiful thoughts.

                Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.  One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.  His bed was next to the room’s only window.  The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

                The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.  Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.  The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

                The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.  Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.  Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. 

                As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.  One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.  Although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. 

                Days, weeks and months passed.  One morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.  She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

                As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.  The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.  Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.  He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.  It faced a blank wall.

                The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.  The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.  She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

                Epilogue:  There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.  Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.  If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.  Today is a gift; that is why it is called “The Present.”  (Origin unknown)   

                We can give gifts to others by thinking beautiful thoughts and looking on the bright side of life.  We all have problems and difficulties, but we do not need to let our hard times bring darkness to ourselves and/or others.  We can bring light and goodness to other people by keeping our thoughts positive.  People who think positive thoughts strengthen themselves as well as their families, communities, and nations.

God Established Constitution

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that the Constitution of the United States of America was established by God through wise men raised up for that very purpose.  This land has been blessed and protected by God and will continued to be blessed by Him for as long as the inhabitants of it worship the God of this land, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

                This principle is beautifully stated in the words of a prophet of God, even the late President Joseph Fielding Smith:  “The Lord established the Constitution of the United States.  No nation has been more greatly blessed than has the United States.  We live in a land which has been called choice above all other lands by divine pronouncement. The Lord has watched over it with a jealous care and has commanded its people to serve him lest his wrath be kindled against them and his blessings be withdrawn. 

“Our government came into existence through divine guidance.  The inspiration of the Lord rested upon the patriots who established it.  He inspired them through the dark days of their struggle for independence and through the critical period which followed that struggle when they formed our glorious Constitution, which guarantees to all the self-evident truth proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, `that all men are created equal:  that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ 

“That is to say, it is the right of every soul to have equal and unrestricted justice before the law, equal rights to worship according to the dictates of conscience, and to labor according to the individual inclinations, independently of coercion or compulsion.  That this might be, the Lord has said, `I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.’ …

“Now I tell you it is time the people of the United States were waking up with the understanding that if they don’t save the Constitution from the dangers that threaten it, we will have a change of government” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. III [1956], pp. 324-325).

The Constitution of the United States was established to protect all people.  There are secret combinations in our nation and world who desire to destroy the Constitution in order to bring all mankind under their control.  We must preserve and protect the Constitution in order to save the government of our nation and the freedoms that it protects.  

Zimmerman Decision

                I felt relief when I learned that the six-woman jury in Florida brought a “Not Guilty” decision for George Zimmerman.  The reason I felt relief is that I do not believe that Zimmerman wanted to kill Trayvon Martin and I believe that Zimmerman acted in self-defense.  I did not watch the trial or read the trial notes; I am simply going by what I read in the mainstream media and on the Internet.  Like Thomas Jefferson, I personally would rather have a guilty person go free than an innocent person found guilty.  This is why I felt relief in the decision.

                The jury found Zimmerman “Not Guilty” in a very controversial trial, and I believe the jurors had no other option in this case.  I am grateful the jurors relied on the facts and the law and disregarded any personal views they might have had.  I believe they acted with great courage in doing so.  I believe it is important for jurors to follow the letter of the law in their decisions.  If the laws are wrong, we should follow the prescribed process in revising and revamping them.  I appreciate the commitment of the members of the jury to serve in such a highly publicized trial. 

                In feeling relief at the decision, I am in no way minimalizing the death of Trayvon Martin.  No man, woman, or child deserves to have their life taken by another person.  Every person deserves to live out their life as they see fit.  I am sorry that seventeen-year-old Trayvon lost his life at such a young age.  I am deeply sorry for the pain of his family and friends.  I wish I could do more, but I cannot do anything except express my condolences.

I feel great sorrow for George Zimmerman because he will have to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed a young man.  I cannot imagine anything worse in life!   I feel certain that he will spend a part of every day for the rest of his life thinking about what happened that night.  I believe that his life will never be the same.

I also feel sorrow for our nation because we have such a great racial divide.  I hope our political leaders will learn to govern without fanning the flames of racial hate and will say and do those things that will bring unity to our nation.  I hope we can move past the charges of racism and threats of rioting and learn to live together as human beings – black, white, brown, and yellow.  We are all children of one Heavenly Father – brothers and sisters who are equally loved by God.  I know that our Father in Heaven has many blessings that He would like to bestow upon us but which He is holding in reserve until we learn to live in unity and love in our nation.  In order to receive those blessings and move forward in a positive manner, we must stop living in the past, learn to see things as they really are, and prepare for a happy and prosperous future - together.  I know we can learn to get along better and work together in making this nation even greater.  I hope all Americans will act responsibly and lawfully to turn this terrible tragedy into something good.

Kill the Immigration Bill

                The Senate of the United States passed the immigration bill last month, and the U.S. House of Representatives is now discussing various aspects of immigration.  All we hear is that our immigration system is “broken” and must be fixed.  The system is not broken, but the enforcement of our present laws is “broken.”  If our current laws were enforced, we would not need a brand new law; we would need only some minor tweaking of the current laws if anything at all.

                William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, and Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, are two conservatives who rarely agree with each other about immigration; however, they both agree that the immigration bill passed by our Senate “is a comprehensive mistake.  House Republicans should kill it without reservation.”  The two men authored an article entitled “Kill the Bill” which explained why they think the bill is a terrible mistake. 

“There is no case for the bill, and certainly no urgency to pass it.  During the debate over immigration in 2006-07, Republican rhetoric at times had a flavor that communicated a hostility to immigrants as such.  That was a mistake, and it did political damage.  This time has been different.  The case against the bill has been as responsible as it has been damning.

“It’s become clear that you can be pro-immigrant and pro-immigration, and even favor legalization of the 11 million illegal immigrants who are here and increases in some categories of legal immigration – and vigorously oppose this bill.”

The authors listed the “fatal” deficiencies in the bill.  1) “It doesn’t solve the illegal-immigration problem” but is “riddled with exceptions, loopholes, and waivers.”  [This sounds like Obamacare!]  “The CBO looked at the bill and concluded that “about 7.5 million illegal immigrants here in ten years.”  2) “Everyone professes to agree that our system should be tilted toward high-skilled immigration, but the Gang of Eight bill unleashes a flood of additional low-skilled immigration.  The last thing low-skilled native and immigrant workers already here should have to deal with is wage-depressing competition from newly arriving workers.”  Our nation does not need more poor people receiving entitlements!  3) “Finally, there is the sheer size of the bill and the hasty manner in which it was amended and passed.”

The authors elaborated:  “Conservatives have eloquently and convincingly made the case against bills like this during the Obama years.  Such bills reflect a mistaken belief in central planning and in practice become a stew of deals, payoffs, waivers, and special-interest breaks.  Why would House Republicans now sign off on this kind of lawmaking?  If you think Obamacare and Dodd-Frank are going swimmingly, you’ll love the Gang of Eight bill.  It’s the opposite of conservative reform, which simplifies and limits government, strengthens the rule of law, and empowers citizens. 

“There is no rush to act on immigration….”

The article concluded:  “House Republicans may wish to pass incremental changes to the system to show that they have their own solutions, even though such legislation is very unlikely to be taken up by the Senate.  Or they might not even bother, since Senate Democrats say such legislation would be dead on arrival.  In any case, House Republicans should make sure not to allow a conference with the Senate bill.  House Republicans can’t find any true common ground with that legislation.  Passing any version of the Gang of Eight’s bill would be worse public policy than passing nothing.  House Republicans can do the country a service by putting a stake through its heart.”

The Washington Post reported that Democrats are targeting Republicans in the House.  “If there is a vote on comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship in the House, it will pass with a bipartisan majority.  If all but a handful of the House Democrats vote yes, and at least 20 Republicans from the list below come along, reform can easily clear the 218 necessary to pass the lower chamber.  Looking at the list of 99 House Republicans below, it’s clear that capturing those 20 or so Republican votes is well within reach.”

The “target list includes several different groups of Republicans.”  1) “Republicans with growing numbers of Latino and Asian constituents…..”  2) “Republicans with agricultural or high-tech interests in their districts….” 3) “Republicans who understand the need for the Party to tackle immigration reform for its own future….”

Alaska’s own Representative Don Young is one of those Republicans that have been targeted.  Alaska’s numbers of Latino constituents is apparently “growing” and has reached the huge number of 5.50% of Alaskans.  Since both our Senators voted for the Senate immigration bill, Alaskans would be wise to contact Congressman Young and make sure he knows how you feel about the Senate bill.

The Heritage Foundation  listed ten problems with the Gang of Eight bill.  1) “Grants amnesty to 11.5 million illegal immigrants, encouraging more law-breaking in the future.”  2) “Border security `triggers.’ [The bill] authorizes billions of spending with no guarantee of border security.”  3) “Cost to taxpayers.  Trillions of dollars go to government services for those who get amnesty.”  4) “Spending.  [The bill] worsens our entitlement spending and debt crisis.”  5) “Bureaucracy expansion.  [There will be] more government offices, task forces, and commissions.”  6) “Sweeping powers for Homeland Security [are] hidden in the 1,000-page bill.”  7) “Unfair.  More than 4 million people are waiting to come to U.S. legally.  8) “Disregard for federalism.  [The bill] hinders states from meeting local needs.”  9) “Special interests and ear marks. [The bill contains] pork project and [is] a boon for lawyers.  10) “Fails on opportunity.  [The bill] fosters dependence on government.”

                There are many reasons why the Gang of Eight bill passed by the Senate should be killed by the House of Representatives.  We must let our representatives know that we do not like the bill and ask them to vote against it.

Jon McNaughton

                My very important person (VIP) for this week is Jon McNaughton.  I believe McNaughton to be a living VIP because he stands firm on his principles.  McNaughton is a Utah artist whose paintings have attracted the attention of millions of people internationally over the past few years.  He also writes a blog and shares his paintings with explanations of them on Facebook.  I first became aware of McNaughton when I saw his painting entitled One Nation Under God.  I liked the painting so much that I purchased a copy of it.

                McNaughton received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brigham Young University and has been painting for twenty-five years.  He is obviously a conservative, and his paintings beautifully described the principles that he considers important.  His paintings can be seen and purchased through his website.  

                The Jon McNaughton blog states:  “There are three kinds of people who view my paintings:  Those who like it, those who hate it, and those who simply don’t understand.  I am especially interested in this last category.  I hope my work will create conversation and reach people on a deeper level.  I like to use metaphor and multiple levels of meaning to reach my viewer.   If it makes them think and feel, then it is successful.”

                This site obviously does not like McNaughton’s work.  It describes McNaughton as libertarian, and his art as “absurd paintings depicting the Founding Fathers as devout Christians.”  The article continues:  “As he markets to Conservatives, Mr. McNaughton’s website helpfully explains every last scrap of symbolism in his artwork, leaving nothing to chance, or interpretation.  His most famous is perhaps One Nation Under God, depicting Jesus surrounded by a range of patriotic figures and liberal bogeymen, along with some figures representing real Americans….”

                I like McNaughton’s art, but I also appreciated his posts on Facebook and his blog entries.   His blog entries include articles entitled “What Is A True Christian?,” “What Would Happen If…?” and “Is Homosexuality Wrong?”  A recent post on Facebook is a very interesting article entitled “Star-Spangled Racism.” This post begins, “Racism is alive and well in America and nowhere is it more obvious than in the case of George Zimmerman versus Trayvon Martin.  Has America traded one kind of racism for another?  We used to hear of white on black racism during the days of Jim Crow.  Now, the streets of urban America are filled with mob violence of black people committing racially driven hate crimes against white people – and there is hardly a whisper.  Even on this last Independence Day, celebrations were cancelled for fear of black rioting.  There are those who now celebrate Independence Day as a time to act out their racist views.  It appears that the poles have shifted.”

                We need more people like Jon McNaughton who are willing to stand up in defense of America, our Constitution, our Founding Fathers, and our way of life.  I encourage you to link to McNaughton’s sites to see his paintings and to read more of his wise writing.