Dakota Access Pipeline

                Protesters have camped illegally on federal land in North Dakota for more than three months. They are protesting the construction of an oil pipeline that is now nearly complete. The protesters include celebrities, political activists, and anti-oil extremists, and most of them come from out of state. The protesters appear to be ignoring facts about the project and relying only on emotions. 

                The pipeline is not on tribal property, but the protesters fear it will be too close to the Missouri River, which provides the tribe’s water. Fear is a powerful emotion that usually leads to anger. It causes people to take actions that they would not normally take. People with agendas tend to say and do things that increase fear and anger. It is anger that causes riots and destruction of property as seen at the protest site.

                The completed pipeline will run from the Bakken oil fields in northwestern North Dakota and connect to an existing pipeline in Illinois. The 1,172-mile Dakota Access pipeline will be a safer method to transport oil than transporting it by rail cars as is currently being done.

                The Obama administration handed the protesters a victory on Sunday, December 4, 2016, with the announcement that the pipeline – now 85% complete – will be re-routed. Energy Transfer Partners can either find another route or prepare an appeal for the Trump administration. 

                The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe had adequate opportunities to be part of the planning stage for the pipeline. Instead, they waited to mount a protest until the pipeline was nearly complete. The protesters are supposed to evacuate their camp this week, but Representative Kevin Cramer (R-ND) believes the protest will continue.

                The protesters claim that they want to protect the environment. Representative Cramer rejected that idea.

“This oil is being produced today. It’s being moved now. It’s just not being moved by this efficient, safe means of transportation…. So the idea that some of this is about the environment is bogus. This oil is going to be produced. So I just think that many of the arguments against it are ironic at best and hypocritical most likely.”

 “This oil is being produced today. It’s being moved now. It’s just not being moved by this efficient, safe means of transportation,” Cramer said. “So the idea that some of this is about the environment is bogus. This oil is going to be produced. So I just think that many of the arguments against it are ironic at best and hypocritical most likely.”

                The Congressman said that the protest began as “prayerful, peaceful,” but it “turned into a very violent and aggressive riot in many cases.” “The blending of agitators and out-of-state people with a different agenda than just protection of water for the tribe has created a lot of chaos.”

                Where does the truth lie? Is Representative Cramer correct in his assessment of the situation? What is the real agenda for the protesters? Can the pipeline be built in such a way that the tribe’s water source will be protected? Will the protest end now that the government has halted construction of the pipeline?

                Only time will give us the answers to these and other questions. One thing we should learn from this experience is to “come to the table” when first invited. All concerned parties should be a part of the discussion and planning from the very start of a project. I believe the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was wrong to postpone their involvement.

Pearl Harbor Day

                December 7, 2016, is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. We must never forget how Japan forced the United States to be drawn into World War II, a war that would last four long years and eventually cost more than 400,000 American lives. 

                At 7:55 a.m. on December 7, 1941, a swarm of Japanese warplanes swooped out of the clouds and descended on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. The surprise attack destroyed or severely damaged five of the eight battleships, three destroyers, seven other ships, and more than 200 aircraft. The attack also killed 2,400 Americans and wounded 1,200.

                The day after the attack at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his now famous statement before a joint session of Congress: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

                FDR sought and received the approval of Congress to approve a “resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan.” Germany and Italy declared war against the United States three days later, and the United States then declared war on those two countries. The USA became part of the success of the Allied Forces in preserving liberty worldwide.

George Soros

                George Soros was born in Budapest, Hungary, on August 12, 1930, to a “well-to-do non-observant Jewish family.” The family name was Schwartz until 1936 when they changed it to Soros to “de-emphasize their Jewish origin.” The family survived Hitler by purchasing papers stating they were Christians.

                Soros is now a very wealthy man and is worth approximately $24 billion. He is also a very powerful man who supports progressives. Russian President Putin issued an international arrest warrant for Soros. He is wanted “dead or alive.” 

                Glenn Beck calls George Soros a “puppet master” who manipulates other progressives. He donates huge amounts of money to progressive politicians and supports mobs such as those who roamed the streets of numerous cities after the election of Donald Trump.

                Rachel Alexander says some interesting things about Soros in her article titled “How Left-Wing Billionaire George Soros Manipulated the 2016 Election.” He was not able to get Hillary Clinton elected, but he did cause problems in many other ways. We know of some of the things he has done because of leaks of information.

                Soros is not a good man, and he has set his sights on destroying the government of the United States. He desires to change out government from a constitutional or democratic republic to a pure democracy. He and his money are behind many of the movements to do away with the Constitution.

President Trump and Constitution

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is what a Trump presidency means for the Constitution and the conservative movement. Jim DeMint, president of The Heritage Foundation, says that the election of Donald Trump “may have preserved our constitutional republic.” He continued, “We know the intent of [Mrs.] Clinton, and she talked a lot about it and what her belief was of the Constitution. And we know Donald Trump has talked about the importance of the Constitution and the list of Supreme Court justices that he released gave us at least some positive indication… to carry out the original intent of the Constitution.”

                The Heritage Foundation recently convened a panel of experts “to examine what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for the Constitution and conservatism as a whole.” They discussed the importance of Trump selecting new justices on the Supreme Court. Jonah Goldberg, a senior editor at National Review and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, stated his belief of numerous defenders of the Constitution. “It infuriates me how we have come to the point of where we think the Supreme Court is the only guardian of the Constitution…. [The Supreme Court] is a guardian of the Constitution, and in certain formalistic situations, it is the last guardian of the Constitution. But anyone who swears an oath to uphold the Constitution is a guardian of the Constitution, and, the citizens from whom the Constitution derives its authority are guardians of the Constitution.” He says that American citizens should “see themselves as the first line of defense when it comes to preserving constitutional principles.”

                In order for American citizens to defend the Constitution, we must know what the Constitution says. In order to know what is in the Constitution, we must study it. You can download a copy of the Constitution at this site. I encourage you to do so and study what the Constitution says in order to be prepared the next time you have an opportunity to defend it.

"Come, Follow Me"

                The New Testament tells of a “certain ruler” who asked Jesus Christ how he could inherit eternal life. The Savior tells the ruler, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.” The man replied that he had kept all those commandments since his youth.

                The Savior knew the ruler's heart, and He told the ruler that he still lacked “one thing.” Then He told him to “sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” The man was very sad because “he was very rich.” Jesus saw the sadness on the man’s countenance and said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:18-24). The man’s material goods apparently were more important to him than eternal life.

                What was the “one thing” the Savior wanted the man to do? The Savior invited the man to become like the Lord. Other scriptures tell us a little more about what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

                “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

                “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

                “… Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

                King Benjamin, an ancient American prophet, taught his people, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Mosiah 2:17).

                There are many scriptures that teach us how to follow Jesus Christ, but these four references show the essence of His teachings. We are to treat other people the same way that we desire to be treated - with love and respect. We are to love and serve our fellow beings because this is how we serve God.

                I understand a little why Heavenly Father wants us to love and serve each other. We are all His spirit children, and He loves each one of us. He wants each of us to be happy and to return to His presence. As a mother and grandmother, no one can show greater love and service to me than to love and serve my children and grandchildren.

                Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke on this topic at the October 2016 General Conference. After referencing the above scriptures, Elder Hales says, “As the Savior’s latter-day disciples, we come unto Him by loving and serving God’s children. As we do, we may not be able to avoid tribulation, affliction, and suffering in the flesh, but we will suffer less spiritually. Even in our trials we can experience joy and peace.

                “Our Christian love and service naturally begin in the home. Parents, you are called to be loving teachers and missionaries to your children and youth. They are our investigators. You bear the responsibility to help them become converted. In truth, all of us are seeking to be converted – which means being filled with our Savior’s love.

                “As we follow Jesus Christ, His love motivates us to support each other on our mortal journey. We cannot do it alone….”

                Elder Hales continues by stating that we can love and serve each other by teaching the doctrine of the Christ…. “We should not worry that we are not professionally trained gospel teachers. No training class or manual is as helpful as personally studying our scriptures, praying, pondering, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

                We must keep the commandments of God just as the rich, young ruler did, but we must do more. We follow Jesus Christ when we love and serve one other and when we teach them the doctrine of Christ.

Sacred Powers of Procreation

                We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by studying “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and by following its precepts. One way to study the proclamation is one paragraph at a time. This is the fourth article in this series.

                The fourth paragraph of the proclamation states, “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.”

                This paragraph clearly explains that the sacred powers to create life – sex – should be employed only between a man and woman who are legally married to each other. This is God’s standard. If we have proper reverence for these powers and complete all the other requirements, we can continue to procreate in the next life.

                President Henry B. Eyring states, “We can understand why our Heavenly Father commands us to reverence life and to cherish the powers that produce it as sacred. If we do not have those reverential feelings in this life, how could our Father give them to us in the eternities? Family life here is the schoolroom in which we prepare for family life there.”

                We know that we should treat sacred things sacred. We must understand that the powers necessary to create life are some of the most sacred powers available to mankind. These powers are privileges given to gods for eternity and loaned to mankind for a few short years to see how we will reverence them.

                Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in an epic talk about this subject says, “Secondly, may I stress that human intimacy is reserved for a married couple because it is the ultimate symbol of total union, a totality and a union ordained and defined by God. From the Garden of Eden onward, marriage was intended to mean the complete merger of a man and a woman – their hearts, hopes, lives, love, family, future, everything. Adam said of Eve that she was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, and that they were to be `one flesh’ in their life together. This is a union of such completeness that we use the word seal to convey its eternal promise…. But such a total union, such an unyielding commitment between a man and a woman, can only come with the proximity and permanence afforded in a marriage covenant, with solemn promises and the pledge of all they possess – their very hearts and minds, all their days and all their dreams.”

                God commanded Adam and Eve to become “one flesh” and to become one in purpose. That purpose is to provide bodies for spirit children and to become an eternal family. We do this by learning the gospel of Jesus Christ, receiving priesthood ordinances and keeping all God’s commandments.

                As you study the fourth paragraph of the proclamation, you may want to share what you learn in a family home evening. This site has a wonderful family home evening program all outlined with lesson, music, activity, and refreshments. I hope you will use this outline and strengthen your family, community, and nation by understanding the doctrine that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, legally and lawfully married.

Freedom from Excess Regulations

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the excess of regulations issued by any government. The Obama administration has issued more than 21,000 regulations. Too many regulations tend to decrease productivity and economic growth.

                Dianne Katz published an article at The Daily Signal about the regulations on the food used for Thanksgiving. She states that the Obama regulations “increased regulatory costs by more than $100 billion annually.” She also reports that “Independent estimates find that total regulatory costs are exceeding $2 trillion annually – more than is collected in income taxes each year.” Katz continues her article describes how regulations affect the foods that we eat at Thanksgiving.

               Some regulations are necessary for health, safety, or security, but too many of the regulations put out by the Obama administration simply control citizens where no control is needed. Katz continues her article by describing how regulations affect the foods that we eat at Thanksgiving. Please read her article and decide for yourself if all those regulations are really necessary.