Atonement of Jesus Christ

                The Atonement is the great sacrifice made by Jesus Christ to pay for the sins of all mankind and to overcome death.  It is the most important event to ever take place in the history of mankind.  It is the “hub” about which Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation turns.

                The choice of Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden brought two kinds of death into the world – physical death and spiritual death.  Physical death takes place when the spirit leaves the body, and spiritual death takes place when men and women become separated from God.  If the Atonement had not taken place, Adam, Eve, and all their posterity – us – would have remained separated from God for all eternity without bodies.

                Heavenly Father wanted all of us to return to His presence after our sojourn on earth, and He prepared His wonderful plan for the happiness of His children.  He planned for a savior to come to earth to pay the ransom for our sins and death.  This savior would have to be completely sinless and have power over death.

                Jesus Christ is the only individual who could atone for the sins of everyone, and there are several reasons why this is so.  The most important reason is that Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be our Savior.  A second reason is that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of the Father and had divine power over death.  A third reason is because He is the only person to ever live on earth without sinning.

                Christ volunteered for the mission to atone for His brothers and sisters.  He suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross with the terrible burden of the sins of all mankind.  We cannot fully understand how He took our sins upon Himself, but we know that the agony caused Him to bleed from every pore.  After His anguish in the Gethsemane, He suffered even more as He hung upon the cross.  Jesus Christ described His agony in a revelation given through Joseph Smith in March 1830.

                Therefore, I command you to repent -- repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath,

and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore – how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know                       not.

                        For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

                        But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

                        Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit – and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

                        Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men (Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19).

                The Atonement was a great sacrifice for both the Father and the Son. It also showed the great love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for mankind. 

                For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

                On the third day after He died, Christ took up His body again, thus becoming the first person to be resurrected as well as overcoming death.  Jesus made it possible for all people born on this earth to be resurrected and overcome physical death.  With our resurrection, our body of flesh and bone and our spirit will become one, never to be separated again.  We will also become immortal and live for eternity. 

                Jesus Christ also made it possible for us to overcome spiritual death through His Atonement on the condition that we accept Him as our Savior.  We accept the Atonement of Christ when we repent of our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and obey all of His commandments.  This is the process where we can become clean from our sins and become worthy to be in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son.  Each of us must repent and obey the commandments to make the Atonement effective in our lives.

                Then Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles gave the following parable to illustrate how the Atonement of Christ makes it possible for us to be saved from sin on the condition that we do our part. 

                Let me tell you a story – a parable.

                        There once was a man who wanted something very much.  It seemed more important than anything else in his life.  In order for him to have his desire, he incurred a great debt.

                        He had been warned about going into that much debt and particularly about his creditor.  But it seemed so important for him to do what he wanted to and to have what he wanted right now.  He was sure he could pay for it later.

                        So he signed a contract.  He would pay it off some time along the way.  He didn’t worry too much about it, for the due date seemed such a long time away.  He had what he wanted now, and that was what seemed important.

                        The creditor was always somewhere in the back of his mind, and he made token payments now and again, thinking somehow that the day of reckoning really would never come. 

                        But as it always does, the day came, and the contract fell due..  The debt had not been fully paid.  His creditor appeared and demanded payment in full.

                        Only then did he realize that his creditor not only had the power to repossess all that he owned, but the power to cast him into prison as well.

                        “I cannot pay you, for I have not the power to do so,” he confessed.

                        “Then,” said the creditor, “we will exercise the contract; take your possessions and you shall go to prison.  You agreed to that.  It was your choice.  You signed the contract, and now it must be enforced.”

                        “Can you not extend the time or forgive the debt?” the debtor begged.  “Arrange some way for me to keep what I have and not go to prison.  Surely you believe in mercy?  Will you not show mercy?”

                        The creditor replied, “Mercy is always so one-sided.  It would serve only you.  If I show mercy to you, it will leave me unpaid.  It is justice I demand.  Do you believe in justice?”

                        “I believed in justice when I signed the contract,” the debtor said.  “It was on my side then, for I thought it would protect me.  I did not need mercy then, nor think I should need it ever.  Justice, I thought, would serve both of us equally as well.”

                        “It is justice that demands that you pay the contract or suffer the penalty,” the creditor replied.  “That is the law.  You have agreed to it and that is the way it must be.  Mercy cannot rob justice.”

                        There they were:  One meting out justice, the other pleading for mercy.  Neither could prevail except at the expense of the other.

                        “If you do not forgive the debt there will be no mercy,” the debtor pleaded.

                        “If I do, there will be no justice,” was the reply.

                        Both laws, it seemed, could not be served.  They are two eternal ideals that appear to contradict one another.  Is there no way for justice to be fully served, and mercy also?

                        There is a way!  The law of justice can be fully satisfied and mercy can be fully extended – but it takes someone else.  And so it happened this time.

                        The debtor had a friend.  He came to help.  He knew the debtor well.  He knew him to be shortsighted.  He thought him foolish to have gotten himself into such a predicament.  Nevertheless, he wanted to help because he loved him.  He stepped between them, faced the creditor, and made this offer.

                        “I will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he may keep his possessions and not go to prison.”

                        As the creditor was pondering the offer, the mediator added, “You demanded justice.  Though he cannot pay you, I will do so.  You will have been justly dealt with and can ask no more.  It would not be just.”

                        And so the creditor agreed.

                        The mediator turned then to the debtor.  “If I pay your debt, will you accept me as your creditor?”

                        “Oh yes, yes,” cried the debtor.  “You saved me from prison and show mercy to me.”

                        “Then,” said the benefactor, “you will pay the debt to me and I will set the terms.  It will not be easy, but it will be possible.  I will provide a way.  You need note go to prison.”

                        And so it was that creditor was paid in full.  He had been justly dealt with.  No contract had been broken.

                        The debtor, in turn, had been extended mercy.  Both laws stood fulfilled.  Because there was a mediator, justice had claimed its full share, and mercy was satisfied.”  (See “The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, pp. 54-55.)

                I love this parable and have much greater understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ because of it.  It clearly illustrates how the Atonement of Jesus Christ works in our lives.  We are like the debtor and foolishly commit sins or spiritual debts.  Without the Atonement, we would all have to pay for our sins.  Because of the Atonement, Christ agrees to redeem our souls if we accept His terms – to repent and keep His commandments.  If we keep our agreement with Jesus Christ, we may someday return to live with Heavenly Father.

                Behold, I have come unto the world… to save the world from sin.  Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God.  Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 9:21).

Reading and Family Bonding

                Parents can strengthen their children by reading to them as small children and encouraging them to learn to read well by themselves.  Parents hold a key position in insuring that their children know how to read by the third grade.  Parents should understand that illiteracy – the inability to read – could lead to high school dropouts and problems with the juvenile court system.  Parents can strengthen their communities and nation as well as their families by sharing the love of reading with their children.

                A Deseret News editorial suggested that traditional reading could “gradually disappear” as education and the workforce move into the digital era.  The editorial then quoted some data from a report published in the New York Times in 2014:  31 percent of children participating in the report read for pleasure on a daily basis, down 6 percent in just four years.  “The report found that children who read consistently until high school were often read to since childhood by their parents.”

                The report also stated some patterns among the “heavier readers”:  (1) The younger children (6-11)  “being read aloud to regularly” and restriction of screen time and (2) The older children(12-17) having “time to read on their own during the school day.”

                “`A lot of parents assume that once kids begin to read independently, that now that is the best thing for them to do,’ said Maggie McGuire, the vice president for a website for parents operated by Scholastic.

                “But reading aloud through elementary school seemed to be connected to a love of reading generally.  According to the report, 41 percent of frequent readers ages 6 to 10 were read aloud to at home, while only 13 percent of infrequent readers were being read to….

                “Of course, children who love to read are generally immersed in households with lots of books and parents who like to read.  So while parents who read to their children later in elementary school may encourage those children to become frequent readers on their own, such behavior can also result from `a whole constellation of other things that goes on in those families,’ said Timothy Shanahan, professor emeritus of urban education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a past president of the International Reading Association.

                “There is not yet strong research that connects reading aloud at older ages to improved reading comprehension.  But some literacy experts said that when parents or teachers read aloud to children even after they can read themselves, the children can hear more complex words or stories than they might tackle themselves.”

                The New York Times published an announcement from the American Academy of Pediatrics in June 2014:  “With the increased recognition that an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life, and that reading to children enhances vocabulary and other important communication skills, the group, which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, is asking its members to become powerful advocates for reading aloud, every time a baby visits the doctor.

                “`It should be there each time we touch bases with children,’ said Dr. Pamela High, who wrote the new policy.  It recommends that doctors tell parents they should be `reading together as a daily fun family activity’ from infancy….

                “Reading, as well as talking and singing, is viewed as important in increasing the number of words that children hear in the earliest years of their lives.”

                The Deseret News editorial continued by explaining some of the benefits of reading:  (1) helps children develop mentally,

(2) Encourages creativity and comprehension, (3) gives children a better chance to remain on the straight and narrow (“Eighty-five percent of juveniles in the nation’s juvenile court system are functionally illiterate; over 60 percent of incarcerated individuals are functionally illiterate.”)

(4) Gives parents and children time together in a constructive activity.

                “Parents who make reading for pleasure an important part of home life ultimately give their children a better chance to succeed on multiple levels.  In education, reading at a proficient level by third grade is critical.  Literacy specialist Kathy Callister found that third grade was the pivotal moment in early education because it’s when the students move beyond fundamentals and start reading for meaning.

                “Lizzy Reano, initiative manager of KSL’s “Read Today” program, told the Deseret News that if children aren’t proficient in reading by third grade, they are four times more likely to drop out of high school in Utah.

                “Reading early on in the home is a big step in the right direction to help children reach proficiency by the third grade.  Alarmingly, 91 percent of parents who took a Scholastic survey reported reading less to their children as soon as the child reached age 9, which is about third grade.

                “The main reason parents stopped reading to these children is because the children could read independently by then.  But 40 percent of the children of that age group said they wanted their parents to continue reading to them.  And the children’s reasons?  Because reading with parents provided a special bonding time and reading together was a fun activity.  By contrast, the main goals of the parents in reading to young children at home were to improve their child’s vocabulary and language skills, followed closely by a strong desire for their children to enjoy books.

                “So whether parents read to their children at home to prepare them for school, to open doors for them down the road or simply to increase family bonding time, parents should make reading at home a regular pursuit.”

                I totally agree with this editorial and appreciate the information in the reports noted in the various articles.  I know the importance of reading to young children. I remember the many times my children – and later grandchildren - gathered around me, some on my lap, some on either side and possibly some on the back of the couch.  Children of all ages – including college age – love to gather with family to read and/or discuss what they are reading individually.   Some families have reading clubs with their adult children where they read individually and share their thoughts by email.  Our family tried this idea but was not successful at it.  I would like to try again but would rather my children spend their time teaching and bonding with their own children.

                Family scripture time is one good idea for reading together.  Some families gather to read a chapter in a fiction or non-fiction book and then close their reading time with the scriptures and prayer.  Other families read together on trips in the car.  My sister shared how she read to her teenage and adult grandchildren (one of the grandchildren was driving the car) all the way from Oregon to Utah.  They all enjoyed the story and the bonding time.  The important thing for parents to do is to find a good time to read to their children as well as a good time for their children to read on their own.  We can all strengthen our families, communities, and nation by learning to read well and reading together as families.

Peace through Strength

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple principle that a nation must be strong in order to have peace and prosperity.  The Founders of our nation and the Framers of our Constitution understood this principle and enabled the United States of America to become the first truly free people in modern times.  By working together during the Revolutionary War and afterwards, Americans gained not only freedom but strength, peace and prosperity.  The young nation soon became the most powerful nation in the world.

                According to W. Cleon Skousen, the goal of the Founders and Framers was peace and the means to peace was strength.  He quoted Benjamin Franklin as writing:  “the very fame of our strength and readiness would be a means of discouraging our enemies; for `tis a wise and true saying, that `One sword often keeps another in the scabbard.’  The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war.  They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent.”  (Ibid. as quoted in The Five Thousand Year Leap – 28 Great Ideas that Changed the World, p. 184.)

                Skousen quoted Franklin as writing at a later time:  “Our security lies, I think, in our growing strength, both in numbers and wealth, that creates an increasing ability of assisting this nation in its wars, which will make us more respectable, our friendship more valued, and our enmity feared; thence it will soon be thought proper to treat us not with justice only, but with kindness, and thence we may expect in a few years a total change of measures with regard to us; unless, by a neglect of military discipline, we should lose all martial spirit, and our western people become as tame as those in the eastern dominions of Britain [India], when we may expect the same oppressions; for there is much truth in the Italian saying, `Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you.’ (Ibid., 6:3-4 as quoted in Leap, p. 184.)

                President George Washington was described as being “First in peace, first in war, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”  He held the respect of his countrymen and still deserves our respect.  His “position on national defense was in terms of grim realities experienced on the field of battle.  No man wanted peace more than he. And no man was willing to risk more in life and property to achieve it.  In nearly the same words as Franklin he declared:  `To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.’  (Fitzpatrick, Writings of George Washington, 30:491).” (Skousen, Leap, p. 185)

                “Peace through strength” implies that strength through military preparedness is a necessary component of peace.  This is phrase was first used in the first century A.D.; it was used much later by Ronald Reagan in his political challenge against Jimmy Carter in 1980.   He accused Carter of being so weak in his leadership that he invited attacks against the United States and its allies.   As President, Ronald Reagan used the phrase “Peace through strength”  as part of his foreign policy and explained his purpose in 1983:  “We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish.  Yet peace does not exist on its own will.  It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations.  George Washington’s words may seem hard and cold today, but history has proven him right again and again.  `To be prepared for war,’ he said, `is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.’  Well, to those who think strength provokes conflict, Will Rogers had his own answer.  He said of the world heavyweight champion of his day:  `I’ve never seen anyone insult Jack Dempsey.’”

                “The approach was credited by many for forcing the Soviet Union to lose the arms race and end the Cold Ward.  `Peace Through Strength’ is the official motto of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

                “Peace Through Strength” appeared in the Republican Party platforms of 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2012.”

                Compare President Reagan’s motto of “Peace Through Strength” to that of the current occupant of the White House of appeasing, apologizing, and bowing to our enemies.  During the six years that Barack Obama has been Commander-in-Chief he has done much to weaken our nation by his policies and particularly by cutting our military strength.

                A blogger wrote recently:  “An American Hero… and Obama.  I walked out of the movie American Sniper with a heavy heart.  The senseless murder of Chris Kyle at the hands of a fellow veteran is a tragedy.  But it is also appalling that the Obama administration chose to snatch defeat form the jaws of victory in a war that Kyle helped to win.  Obama’s disdain for our veterans who have given life and limb and heart and soul to protect their country and its freedoms has been apparent for years.  His assault on the military would be horrible at any time, but in the midst of war, it is criminal.”

                In October 2014 Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal spoke about numerous Obama policies that have weakened our nation:  “`[Obama] leaves for the next president tools of hard power that have fallen into disrepair.  Military strength should not be the primary means by which the United States executes its foreign policy.  But it is the indispensable element that underpins the other tools….’

                “Jindal seeks to claim the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan, borrowing a line when he argues that, `Peace through strength costs infinitely less in American blood and treasure than does war precipitated by weakness.’

                “He argued that more money will allow the United to `rebuild the tools of military power’ to create a force, `not to nation-build overseas, not as a police force or a Keynesian jobs program, but as a deterrent to our adversaries, and as a tool to eradicate threats to American lives and interests.”

                The Conservative Tribune published the following in August 2014:  “The United States of America is the sole remaining superpower in the world, for now.  It was able to rise to such a position by a general policy of `peace through strength’, having a strong and robust military that prevented rivals from making moves against the US.

                “But things have changed now, and after more than a decade of the War on Terror, and especially after the implementation of several policy changes by the Obama administration, morale has declined significantly, and our military is transforming into a hollow force, a paper tiger.”

                This publication noted that some of the ways Obama is transforming our military are:  (1) “an ongoing purge of the US military’s leadership by the Obama administration, (2) “the repeal of `Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, which allows openly gay people into the military.”

(3) “allowing women into combat infantry units.”  It also notes that some of the generals, etc. who were “retired” or forced to resign are now speaking out against the administration, something unheard of during previous administrations.

                David L. Goetsch suggested in April 2014 that Barack Obama is weakening America on purpose, not because he is an inept Commander-in-Chief:  “Anyone who knowingly ignores clear and present danger is courting disaster, a fact that makes it difficult to understand why Congress continues to sheepishly acquiesce as President Obama takes a meat cleaver to the defense budget.  Elected officials in Washington, D.C. – people who are privy to accurate, up-to-date information that has not been filtered through biased media outlets – continue to ignore the clear and present danger represented by President Obama’s on-going cuts to the defense budget.  Barack Obama is weakening America’s military and, in turn, America.  Worse yet the evidence suggests he is doing this on purpose.

                “Congress and presidents have always responded to the end of major hostilities by cutting back on military expenditures – think of World War II, Viet Nam, and the Cold War.  But President Obama has broken all precedent by cutting the military’s budget at a time of increased hostility toward America.  President Obama’s only interest in the military seems to be in scoring cheap political points by:  1) moving military dollars into social programs, 2) coercing the service branches into accepting open homosexuality in the ranks, and 3) advocating for women in combat.  To President Obama the military is just a convenient organization he can coerce into advancing his leftwing social agenda….

                “I used to think that President Obama was just inept when it comes to military and foreign relations matters, and he is.  In his book Duty former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates makes clear that President Obama and his closest advisers are uncomfortable with the military and distrustful of military leaders (and vice-versa).  However, the evidence now suggests that President Obama’s ineptitude in defense and foreign policy matters conveniently disguises an agenda aimed at weakening the United States by weakening the military.  In other words, when President Obama continues to undermine the military in spite of the on-going terrorist threats, nuclear advances in Korea and Iran, the re-emergence of Russia and its expansion minded president, and increasing terrorist violence on American soil, any objective observer would have to conclude that the president’s unstated goal is to purposefully weaken the United States.  No other explanation makes sense.”

                The writer then asked his readers to consider America’s situation and ask themselves the following questions:  “1) Is America’s economy stronger since Barack Obama took office?  2) Is America’s military stronger since Obama took office?  3) Are there fewer threats to America’s security since Obama took office?”  Most Americans would answer “no” to all three questions.

                I think that you can probably see the point I am trying to make.  America has peace when it is strong, but when America is weak or acts weak, peace is far from us.  I believe that Barack Obama has put America in a much worse condition than Jimmy Carter did.  I think that Mr. Carter was simply an inept president, but I believe Mr. Obama is an evil president or at least acting under orders from evil people. 

                I believe that we are living in the times prophesied by ancient American prophets.  They warned us that secret combinations would be in every nation in the latter days.  I believe that our government is now under the control of evil and secret combinations of men and women, both Democrat and Republican, who seek the overthrow of the United States of America.  I believe that this is the reason why our military is being weakened.  I believe that very difficult times are coming to Americans and all nations.  Please pray for America and for the power to discern and eradicate the secret combinations in our midst.  May God bless America because the peace for the entire world lies in the strength of America. 

Measles Outbreak

                USA Today reported that “as many as 1,000 people across three Arizona counties potentially exposed to the measles….

                “The possible exposure rate of 1,000 people is tied in large part to those who may have come in contact with 195 children… exposed to measles between January 20 and 21 at the Phoenix Children’s East Valley Center in Mesa….

                “To date, officials have confirmed seven cases of measles:  five in Pinal County, two in Maricopa County.  In addition, health officials in Gila County are working to identify anyone who might have come in contact with one of the Pinal County patients, who visited a hospital there in mid-January….

                “Public-health officials believe the cases of measles will probably grow, but they do not want to instill panic.”

                News.Yahoo.com  quoted Will Humble, Director of Arizona Department of Health Services:  This is a critical point in this outbreak…. If the public health system and medical community are able to identify every single susceptible case and get them into isolation, we have a chance of stopping this outbreak here.”

                The Arizona epidemic comes from the outbreak “centered around the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim outside Los Angeles, and has grown to 84 confirmed cases in 14 states, 67 of which are known to be linked to the Disney outbreak, the US Centers for Disease Control said…. Four of the patients diagnosed in Arizona are members of one unvaccinatedfamily who visited the California resort.  The scariest thing about this outbreak is that it infected six infants who were too young to be vaccinated.  h

                This site reported that some doctors in Los Angeles, California, and surrounding area are refusing to see children whose parents refuse to get them vaccinated.

                Dr. Charles Goodman stated, “Parents who choose not to give measles shots, they’re not just putting their kids at risk, but they’re also putting other kids at risk – especially kids in my waiting room.”

                This is a sentiment that has been shared by other doctors in recent years.  Now that our nation faces its “second-biggest measles outbreak in at least 15 years” questions are being raced about the “ethical responsibilities” of such doctors.  Of course, if the relationship been the doctor and patient is “unworkable,” something else needs to be done.

                According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the “measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR, is 97 percent effective at preventing measles.  “Nationally, childhood measles vaccination rates have held steady for years at above 90 percent.  But there seem to be growing pockets of unvaccinated people in scattered communities,” said Dr. Gregory Wallace of the CDC.

                All of the states require certain vaccinations in order to enroll in school, but some states have opt out programs with personal belief waivers allowed for either concerns, religious or other reasons.  People who do not believe in vaccinations often form small communities, where the measles virus spreads quickly and infects approximately 90 percent of the unvaccinated members.

                Measles is a highly contagious disease – the most contagious or at least among the most contagious.  The measles virus is transmitted by sneezes and/or coughs and spreads easily through the air without any physical contact necessary.  It can live in air droplets for two hours after the infected person leaves the room.   It infects 90 percent of any unvaccinated people in contact with it and is most contagious during the four days before the rash appears – when most people are aware they have it.

                The symptoms of the disease include fever, runny nose, conjunctivitis, cough and a red, raised and blotchy rash that starts at the hairline and spreads all over the body.  Symptoms may appear as soon as 7 days or wait 12 or even 21 days after exposure.  Measles makes people very sick with possible fevers of 104-105 degrees and ibuprofen or acetaminophen the “only real treatment.” 

                Measles complication can include blindness, hearing loss, pneumonia, and death.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one to three children out of every 1,000 infected with measles will die from it.  Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are the most vulnerable, and measles among them can be very deadly.  Measles are also very dangerous among pregnant women because of the danger of miscarrying or giving birth prematurely.  Elderly and frail people are also at risk.

                Most measles outbreaks in the United States occur when an unvaccinated American travels to another country and brings the virus back with him.  One such outbreak took place in Ohio in 2014 when an Amish missionary  went to the Philippines that was facing a big measles outbreak; he returned home with the virus and spread it to more than 400 other people in the unvaccinated Amish community.  After seeing how sick people got with the measles, the Amish people quickly corrected their mistake by getting vaccinated.

                For more information about measles check out this article entitled “Nine Things Everyone Should Know about Measles”  by Julia Belluz and this article entitled “Everything You Need to Know about Vaccines” by German Lopez.

                Doctors and others in the health field have some good suggestions:  (1) Take personal responsibility, tell the truth, and use common sense.  (2) Anyone who has been notified they have been exposed or anyone who thinks they have been exposed should isolate themselves.  (3) Parents concerned about sending their children to day care or school should ask some direct questions about how many children in their group are vaccinated and keep their children home if necessary.  (4) Any unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people who have been exposed need to be in isolation for 21 days.  (5) Pharmacies can give measles vaccination but call to insure they have the vaccine in stock.  Anyone without insurance may have to pay $100 per shot.

                With this kind of information available, many people still refuse to vaccinate their children because of fear.  I support their freedom to make such a choice, but I do not understand their reasoning.  In fact, I think their reasons look ridiculous, especially during outbreaks of disease like the current one.  Parents who vaccinate their children do not want their children exposed by unvaccinated children.   There is much anger in our nation between the two groups. 

                I was vaccinated as a child for small pox and polio.  I do not remember having “the hard kind” of measles but I did have the mumps, whooping cough, and probably the German measles (a milder kind if I understand correctly). 

                I made sure that my children were vaccinated at the suggested ages.  In fact, one of my daughters was selected to be in a “control group” when the question of a MMR booster arose because she was vaccinated at the correct ages.  She was tested in high school and found that she needed a booster.  To the best of my knowledge, all of my grandchildren have been vaccinated at the suggested ages and all of them are healthy.  I remember the concern of another daughter who was pregnant and working at a high school when a whooping cough outbreak happened.

                I was in grade school when a polio epidemic swept our nation.  I remember my parents’ fear and then their relief when the polio vaccine was available.  One of my classmates contracted polio and wore a brace throughout grade school, junior high, and most of high school.  I visited with him at our 50 year high school reunion and noticed that he still walks with a very noticeable limp.  I also had a cousin who came down with measles and was sick for numerous weeks.  Parents in that day knew the dangers of those awful diseases and took every precaution they could take.

                There are so many terrible diseases without vaccine available in the world.  Why should children be exposed to diseases they can avoid with vaccination?  Why should we risk their health and possibly their lives when we can protect them?  I hope this gives you a little more information about the highly contagious measles virus and what you can do to help eradicate it from our nation or at least contain it.

New Appliances

                How long do you believe a new refrigerator should last?  My husband and I built our home in 1979 and purchased all new appliances for our new kitchen.  We replaced the dishwasher in 2005 when we had the counters replaced –26 years and still working.  We replaced the refrigerator in May 2012 – 33 years and still working but without shelves in the door.  The kitchen stove is still in use – 36 years.

                Knowing what I know now, I might not have replaced my old Whirlpool refrigerator.  Whirlpool Refrigerator #2 lasted almost a year almost one year - and was replaced under the warranty.  Whirlpool refrigerator #3 was only one and a half years old when it quit last week. 

                Most of the food in the freezer was ruined and had to be thrown away, but the food in the refrigerator was still cold enough to be good.  We put it in cooler boxes and placed them on the back deck.  We assumed that the food would stay good because outside temperatures were below freezing.  We left the cooler boxes on the deck for several hours, brought them in for an hour or so, and put them back on the deck again.  It was a pain, but it worked.  Besides, how long could it take to get a refrigerator fixed?

                We spent a week trying to get some answers.  Our refrigerator-freezer quit freezing on Saturday of a three-day holiday weekend.  We called the authorized appliance repair shop but received no answer either Saturday or Sunday.  We called again on Monday and were told the repairman would be out late in the afternoon or the next day.  He showed up about noon on Tuesday, took a few minutes to open up the back of the freezer, took a quick look inside, and said it could not be fixed.  The sealed cooling unit was working in only a small portion of the line; it apparently had a “clot” in the line.  The cost of repairing the refrigerator would be higher than the purchase of a new one.  The repairman put the freezer back together, charged us $89 for a service call, and asked if we had purchased an extended warranty on the refrigerator.  We had not because we expected better quality even though Whirlpool #2 had quit for the same reason.  We thought it was abnormal – our mistake.

                Before the repairman left the house, he checked the Whirlpool web site and learned that Whirlpool warranties the sealed cooling systems in their refrigerators for five years.  This gave us some hope but not much.  The repairman said he would call the information into Whirlpool, probably the next day (Wednesday).  We called Wednesday and learned the call had not been made.  We called Thursday and learned the call had not been made.  Friday we went looking for a new refrigerator; we actually found a store that had on sale an almond-colored refrigerator the same model as our #3.  We were tempted but did not dare buy a third refrigerator when the previous two just like it had failed us.

                We stopped by the repair shop and were told the technician had called Whirlpool.  The person we talked with did not have an answer for us and said he would call Whirlpool on Saturday morning and then call us.  Saturday we got a call from the repair shop telling us that Whirlpool had been contacted and had all the needed information from the repair shop; the problem was now in the hands of Whirlpool and someone at Whirlpool would call us.  Later in the day my husband spoke with the Whirlpool representative and learned Whirlpool would do nothing for us.  This was the answer we expected but wanted to be sure before we purchased a new refrigerator.

                At this point we had been without a refrigerator for eight days and had hauled cooler boxes in and out of the house several times each day.  For ice and freezer food we had to go to the garage to our big freezers.  For refrigerator food we had to bring a cooler box into the house.  It was a pain and made us realize once again the value of modern appliances. 

                We decided that we would not purchase another Whirlpool refrigerator since two of them have failed in less than three years.  We found lots of makes of refrigerators but only three colors – black, white, and steel - in the stores because manufacturers are apparently pushing the new steel-colored ones. 

                The truth hit us squarely in the face:  If we wanted a different make and model of refrigerator and wanted it now, we would have to accept a new color of appliances in our kitchen – a new color that I did not particularly want.  Before we left the store, I noticed that 95 percent of the refrigerators, kitchen stoves, dishwashers, etc. – everything but clothes washers and dryers - were steel-colored.  This meant that if we chose a color other than steel for the refrigerator, we would mostly likely have to special order a new stove and dishwasher when we decide to replace ours. 

                We discussed the problem and pondered our choices.  We were leaning towards white but still did not want it.   What should we do?  We went to the Lord with the problem.  We knew that He knew our situation and the information available to us.  We also knew He would give us the best answer according to His perfect knowledge.  We asked, and the answer came:  buy a steel-colored refrigerator.  I did not like the answer.  I do not like the steel-colored appliances, either the color or the difficulty in keeping them polished. 

                I do however know how to receive personal revelation, and I believe the answer came from God.  I told my husband what I thought we were being prompted to do and shared some reasons why I thought it might be a good idea to get a new color.  I told him that the almond color was now outdated and would make our kitchen look even older.  I told him we would have an even more difficult time finding an almond appliance the next time we needed one.  I told him that we might as well “bite the bullet” and get a new color now – but I did not like the idea.

                I pondered, prayed and worried about the situation all night long and continued to come up with the same answer.  This morning my husband agreed with me – and I still did not like the answer.  I took the problem with me when I went to the temple the next morning where I pondered and prayed about it some more.  The answer continued to be the same - no matter how I asked the question or how many times I asked it.  I believe the Lord’s answer was to purchase a steel-colored refrigerator.

                We are so tired of eating out of cooler boxes and this whole process.  We are limited as to the size of the refrigerator we can buy because of the spot in our kitchen for one.  We went to the store all prepared to purchase a steel-colored refrigerator and discovered the price of one was more than for either a black one or a white one.  We spoke with the salesman and stalled some more.  Again, I went to the Lord.  Did I receive the right answer?  Yes.  Finally, we decided to buy the steel-colored one and told the salesman.  It was then that we learned that he had decided to sell it to us for the same price as a white or a black one.  The price problem had been solved, and the purchase went through.  We did not purchase another Whirlpool, but we did purchase the extended warranty for five years!  Delivery was arranged for Monday. 

                Our food is now in a refrigerator, and the cooler boxes are once again put away.  My husband does not care what color the refrigerator is so he is happy as long as he does not have to buy another refrigerator.  All the problems seem to have been solved except one:  Will I learn to like the color or forever hate it?

William Lloyd Garrison

                William Lloyd Garrison was born on December 12, 1805, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the son of British immigrants from New Brunswick in present-day Canada.  His father, Abijah Garrison, was a merchant sailing pilot and master; he obtained papers from the United States under an act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen and moved his family to Newburyport.  When the United States passed the Embargo Act of 1807, the intent was to injure Great Britain, but the result was a decline in American commercial shipping.  Abijah Garrison became unemployed and deserted his family in 1808.  William Garrison’s mother was Frances Maria Lloyd, described as “tall, charming, and of a strong religious character.”  She began referring to her son as Lloyd in an effort to preserve her family name; she passed away in 1823 in Springfield, Massachusetts, then considered to be a town.

                Garrison worked to help support the family by selling home-made lemonade and candy and also delivering wood.  He was 13 years old in 1818 when he began working as an apprentice compositor for the Newburyport Herald.  There he started writing articles, using the pseudonym Aristides, who was a statesman and general known as “the Just.”  At the end of his apprenticeship, Garrison joined with Isaac Knapp (a printer) and the two of them purchased their own newspaper in 1826.  Their newspaper, Free Press, did not last very long, but Garrison gained “skills he would later use as a nationally known writer, speaker and newspaper publisher.”  He was appointed editor of the National Philanthropist in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1828; the journal was the first one in America to promote legally-mandated temperance.

                Garrison had an interesting career life.  At age 25 he joined the anti-slavery movement and was involved with an organization with some members that wanted to reduce the number of free blacks in society and promoted the resettlement of free blacks to a territory (now known as Liberia) on the west coast of Africa.  Other members of the society simply encouraged the granting of freedom to all slaves.  Garrison in late 1829-1830 rejected the practice of colonization, publicly apologized, and censured other who promoted it.

                Garrison became the co-editor with Benjamin Lundy of a Quaker newspaper entitled Genius of Universal Emancipation in Baltimore, Maryland.  At first he agreed with Lundy’s views to gradually free the slaves but later was “convinced of the need to demand immediate and complete emancipation.  The two co-editors continued to work together even though they had differing opinions, but each signed his own editorials.

                In 1831 Garrison returned to New England and co-founded The Liberator, with his friend Isaac Knapp.  The weekly newspaper was anti-slavery.  The newspaper had two thousand subscribers in 1834, with three-fourths of them being black.  Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in Virginia took place seven months after The Liberator started publication.  Garrison was indicted by a grand jury in North Carolina for “distributing incendiary material” while a $5,000 reward was offered by the Georgia Legislature for his capture and transporting him to Georgia for trial.

                By 1861 The Liberator had subscribers across the northern states as well as in England, Scotland, and Canada.  “It was received in state legislatures, governor’s mansions, Congress, and the White House.”  After the Civil War ended and the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, the last issue of The Liberator was published (number 1,820) on December 29, 1865.

                Garrison was a well-known abolitionist, journalist, suffragist, and social reformer, being best-known as the editor of The Liberator.  He was a founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society and became a prominent voice for the woman suffrage movement in the 1870s.

                Garrison married Helen Eliza Benson, and the couple became parents of several children with five surviving the parents:  William Lloyd Garrison (183801909), Wendell Phillips Garrison (1840-1907), George Thompson Garrison, Francis Jackson Garrison, and Helen Frances Garrison (m. Henry Villard). 

                In his later years Garrison spent more time at home caring for Helen who became increasingly ill after suffering a small stroke on December 30, 1863.  She passed away on January 25, 1876, from pneumonia.   Even though her funeral was held at home, Garrison could not attend because he was “overcome with grief and confined to his bedroom with a fever and severe bronchitis.

                Garrison gradually recovered from the loss of his wife but attended Spiritualist circles with hopes of communicating with her.  He suffered with kidney disease and became weaker in April 1879.  He moved to New York to live with his daughter Fanny and her family.  His condition worsened in late May, and his five surviving children rushed to his bedside.  He lost consciousness on May 24, 1879, and died just before midnight.  He was buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston on May 28, 1879.

Debts for Fighting Against the Union

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:  “… But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States….”  This provision means that all claims for payment in fighting against the Union are unlawful and do not need to be paid.

                W. Cleon Skousen explained, “This section provides that all obligations, including the redemption of Confederation currency, were now null and void.  Anyone who had loaned money to the Confederacy could not now collect it.

                “Al such debts were illegal and void because they implemented the rebellion against the Union.  This wiped out a debt of $1.4 billion which the Confederacy owed to their own citizens, as well as to England, France, and other countries.  The Southern states also lost the value of their emancipated slaves.  At the same time the South had to shoulder its proportionate expense of the war incurred by the Union.”  (See The Making of America – The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, pp. 726-727.)