Southern Border Crisis

                Something is happening on our southern border, something that is causing problems for some Americans and may soon affect all Americans.  It appears as though we no longer have a border between Mexico and the United States.  Thousands of young and unaccompanied children from Central America - most from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - are illegally crossing our southern border at an increasing rate.

                Columnist Peggy Noonan compared the crisis on our southern border to a house with problems.  “It’s like you live in a house that’s falling apart.  The roof needs to be patched and there are squirrels in the attic, a hornet’s nest in the eaves.  The basement’s wet.  The walkway to the front door is cracked with grass growing through it.  The old boiler is making funny sounds.  On top of that it’s always on your mind that you could lose your job tomorrow and must live within strict confines so you can meet the mortgage and pay the electric bill.  You can’t keep the place up and you’re equal parts anxious, ashamed, and angry.  And then one morning you look outside and see … all these people standing on your property, looking at you, making some mute demand.  Little children looking lost – no one’s taking care of them.  Older ones settling in the garage, or working a window to the cellar.  You call the cops.  At first they don’t come. Then they come and shout through a bull horn and take some of the kids and put them in a shelter a few blocks away.  But more kids keep coming!  You call your alderman and he says there’s nothing he can do.  Then he says wait, we’re going to pass a bill and get more money to handle the crisis.  You ask, `Does that mean the kids will go home?’  He says no, but it may make things feel more orderly.  You call the local TV station and they come do a report on your stoop and then they’re gone, because really, what can they do, and after a few days it’s getting to be an old story.  No one’s in charge!  No one is taking responsibility.  No one who wants to help has authority, and no one with authority is helping.

                “America is the house that is both falling apart and under new stress.  Those living within it, those most upset by what they’re seeing, know America has big problems – unemployment, low workforce participation, a rickety physical infrastructure, an unsound culture, poor public education.  And of course discord of all sorts – a lot of made squirrels running around the attic.  They know America can’t pay its bills.  They fear we’re living on the fumes of greatness.  They want us to be strong again.  Watching our border collapse doesn’t look like a harbinger of progress.”

                The crisis at the border is not new; it has been going on for more than two years.  At the onset of the problem, Governor Rick Perry of Texas tried to alert the federal government of the increasing numbers of children.  Nothing was done to stop the flow.  Approximately 50,000 children have crossed the border into the United States with a projected number of 90,000 crossing by the end of 2014.

                It seems that anyone with common sense can see that we have a crisis, but our President considers fundraising for Democrats as being more important than solving the border problems.  He does, however, have time to request more money from Congress to use in caring for the illegals. Even Donald Trump can see that “This influx is killing the country.”

                Illegal immigrants – the word illegal now being equated with the N-word – are being treated better than other Americans.  We have children and teens in our own nations needing food, clothes, etc.  We have sick and injured military veterans needing medical care.  We have millions of people without jobs.  Unskilled immigrants are taking jobs formerly filled by black Americans.  Illegals are indeed killing our country.

                It appears that Barack Obama and other liberals are inviting the influx of illegals into our nation.  The word has gotten back to people in Central America that our nation does not deport people who come here illegally.  They apparently believe that they will be allowed to stay if they can just make it across the border.

                We have thousands of children coming into our nation without adult supervision.  No child should have to face the horrors of being so alone and so vulnerable.  What will these children handle this trauma and how will it affect their future lives?  What kind of problems will face these children next year – and many years from now?  Do we really want to invite them into our nation?  I think not.  I do however believe we should be compassionate and tender with them as we send them back to their countries of origin.  Our nation has a true crisis on our southern border.  We need leaders who can make tough choices; we need leaders who will do the jobs we elected them to do; we need leaders who will put Americans first!

Finding Truth

             

                I enjoy the freedoms of modern technology.  I enjoy being able to Google almost anything and find an answer.  The answer to every question seems to be on the Internet. 

                The Internet can be used to do much good in the world.  I find it very helpful as I attempt to stay in touch with children and grandchildren.  Family records and histories are much easier and quicker to find than in the “olden days” before the Internet.  I find it truly amazing at everything we can do from the comfort of our homes because of the blessing of the Internet.

                We must remember that the Internet can also be used for evil purposes.  He uses this wonderful tool for evil purposes such as promoting doubt, creating fear, destroying faith and hope, and destroying individuals and families.

                Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/05/sunday-afternoon-session/if-ye-lack-wisdom?lang=eng of the Quorum of Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke about using the Internet to gain knowledge and wisdom.  “The Internet provides many opportunities for learning…. 

                With so much available on the Internet, we must carefully consider where to apply our efforts.  Satan can keep us busy, distracted, infected by sifting through information, much of which can be pure garbage. 

                One should not roam through garbage.”

                Elder Aidukaitis reminded his listeners that “The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know … it is of God” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Moroni 7:16).

                Since all of us at one time or another lack wisdom, we should use this guide to help us find the truth.  Elder Aidukaitis continued, “In the kingdom of God, the search for truth is appreciated, encouraged, and in no way repressed or feared.  Church members are strongly counseled by the Lord Himself to seek for knowledge [Doctrine and Covenants 88:78].  He said, `Seek ye diligently…; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith’ ( Doctrine and Covenants 88:118)…."

                So how do we go about seeking wisdom?  How do we recognize truth in our world of today?  Elder Aidukaitis said that the scriptures teach us how to do it.  (1) “We can know the truth by observing its fruits.”  The Savior taught that we can know a good tree from a bad tree by its fruits.  A good tree brings forth good fruit, and a bad tree brings forth bad fruit.

                An ancient American prophet by the name of Mormon taught the same principle:  “By their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also” (Moroni 7:5).

                We can judge anything – a book, a class, a religion, or a political issue – by observing its fruits.  Does it cause us to desire to do good and become better followers of Christ?

                (2) “We can find truth by experimenting on the word ourselves.”  We can follow the counsel of the prophet Alma (Book of Mormon, Alma 32:28, 30-31) to plant the seed in our hearts.  If it starts to grow, we know it is a good seed.  If we cultivate it, it will mature and bring forth fruit.  We are invited to test the word of God!

                (3) We can know the truth by personal revelation.  Revelation is knowledge – “knowledge of whatsoever things [we] ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that [we] shall receive” (Doctrine and Covenants 8:1; emphasis added).

                The next verse explains how we will receive revelation:  “I will tell you in your mind and in our heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”

                Elder Aidukaitis continued, “We must ask in faith and with an honest heart.  But that is not all.  We must also believe that we will receive the revelation.  We must trust the Lord and have hope in His promises….

                “I invite all to seek truth from any of these methods but especially from God through personal revelation.  God will reveal truth to those who seek for it as prescribed in the scriptures.  It requires more effort than to just search the Internet, but it is worth it.”

                I invite you to try these methods of gaining truth.  All of them are valuable in our search for truth.  I particularly appreciate the opportunity to ask God for assistance in determining truth.  When He answers, I know I can trust His answer even though I might not understand it.  I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through personal revelation.

Lewis and Clark

                Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774, near Charlotte, Virginia.  He was a boyhood neighbor of Thomas Jefferson; he was well educated and then served in the Virginia militia and the Northwestern campaign.  William Clark was born August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia, and was tutored at home.  The two men apparently became acquainted when Lewis joined a militia unit commanded by Lieutenant Clark and developed the bonds of an enduring friendship.

                When Thomas Jefferson was elected as President of the United States, he appointed Meriwether Lewis to be his private secretary.  Then President Jefferson appointed Lewis to command an expedition to the Pacific Ocean.  Lewis asked William Clark to join the expedition, and the two of them, with a group of forty men, left Washington, D.C., on July 5, 1803.  The group endured numerous hardships before reaching the Pacific Ocean on November 2, 1805; there they made camp at Fort Clatsop on the Columbia River.   They began their trip home the next spring, arriving in St. Louis on September 23 after an absence of two years and four months.  President Jefferson acclaimed their journey, and Congress granted a piece of land to each member of the expedition.

                Meriwether Lewis was appointed governor of Missouri in 1807 and died on October 11, 1809.  William Clark died many years later on September 1, 1838.

Inform the Accused

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:  “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall … be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation….”  This provision means the accused has the right to know the exactly crime they supposedly committed.

                W. Cleon Skousen explained that a “person is considered to be informed of the charge against him by having a copy of the grand jury’s indictment presented to him.  He is then given a reasonable time to prepare his defense.  The same thing when a federal prisoner has been arrested and is brought before a judicial officer for his `preliminary hearing.’  At that time the charge is read against him and he is invited to plead `guilty’ or `not guilty.’”  (See The Making of America – The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, p. 708.)

                Paul Rosenzweig of The Heritage Foundation further explained that this right of the accused “traces its origin at least as far back as twelfth-century England.  Anglo-Saxon law required a precise and properly substantiated accusation, initiated either by individual complaint (called an appeal) or by an accusing jury (the predecessor of our grand jury), and specifying particular charges….”

                Rosenzweig quoted Justice Hugo L. Black as writing, “No principle of procedural due process is more clearly established than that notice of the specific charge, and a chance to be heard in a trial of the issues raised by that charge, if desired, are among the constitutional rights of every accused in a criminal proceeding in all courts, state or federal.  Cole v. Arkansas (1948).”  (See The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, p. 352.)

Children of the Covenant

                Covenants are agreements or promises we make with Heavenly Father as we participate in the ordinances of the gospel.  God sets the specific conditions of the covenants, and we can choose to accept or reject those conditions.  If we accept His conditions, He promises to bless us as we obey them.  We are better able to honor our covenants and received the promised blessings as we increase our understanding of covenants.

                Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed the importance of covenants.  “One of the most important concepts of revealed religion is that of a sacred covenant.  In legal language, a covenant generally denotes an agreement between two or more parties.  But in a religious context, a covenant is much more significant.  It is a sacred promise with God.  He fixes the terms.  Each person may choose to accept those terms.  If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant.  We know that `when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated’ (Doctrine and Covenants 130:21).

                “Through the ages, God has made covenants with His children.  His covenants occur throughout the entire plan of salvation and are therefore part of the fulness of His gospel.  For example, God promised to send a Savior for His children, asking in turn for their obedience to His law.  In the Bible we read of men and women in the Old World who were identified as children of the covenant.  What covenant?  `The covenant which God made with [their] fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.’

                “In the Book of Mormon we read of people in the New World who were also identified as children of the covenant.  The resurrected Lord so informed them:  `Behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham:  And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.’

                “The Savior explained the importance of their identity as children of the covenant.  He said, `The Father having raised me up unto you first… sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant.’

                “The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance.  It contained several promises, including:  [1] Jesus the Christ would be born through Abraham’s lineage.  [2] Abraham’s posterity would be numerous, entitled to an eternal increase, and also entitled to bear the priesthood.  [3] Abraham would become a father of many nations.  [4] Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity.  [5] All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.  [6] And that covenant would be everlasting – even through `a thousand generations’ (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Chronicles 16:15; Psalm 105:8).

                “Some of these promises have been fulfilled; others are still pending….  Some 600 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, prophets knew that the Abrahamic covenant would be finally fulfilled only in the latter days.

                “To facilitate that promise, the Lord appeared in these latter days to renew that Abrahamic covenant.  To the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Master declared:  `Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins – from whose loins ye are … my servant Joseph.  …

                “`This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham’ (Doctrine and Covenants 132:30-31).

                “With this renewal, we have received, as did they of old, the holy priesthood and the everlasting gospel.  We have the right to receive the fulness of the gospel, enjoy the blessings of the priesthood, and qualify for God’s greatest blessing – that of eternal life.

                “Some of us are the literal seed of Abraham; others are gathered into his family by adoption.  The Lord makes no distinction.  Together we receive these promised blessings – if we seek the Lord and obey His commandments.  But if we don’t, we lose the blessings of the covenant…. 

                “Ours is the responsibility to help fulfill the Abraham covenant.  Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the world.  That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work….

                “The Book of Mormon is a tangible sign that the Lord has commenced to gather His children of covenant Israel.  This book, written for our day, states as one of its purposes that `ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel … is already beginning to be fulfilled….’

                “Indeed, the Lord has not forgotten!  He has blessed us and others throughout the world with the Book of Mormon.  One of its purposes is for `the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.’  It helps us to make covenants with God.  It invites us to remember Him and to know His Beloved Son.  It is another testament of Jesus Christ.

                “Children of the covenant have the right to receive His doctrine and to know the plan of salvation.  They claim it by making covenants of sacred significance.  … They keep the covenant by obedience to His commandments….

                “At baptism we covenant to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.  When we partake of the sacrament, we renew that covenant and declare our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.  Thereby we are adopted as His sons and daughters and are known as brothers and sisters.  He is the father of our new life.  Ultimately, in the holy temple, we may become joint heirs to the blessings of an eternal family, as once promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity.  Thus, celestial marriage is the covenant of exaltation.

                “When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us.  His law is written in our hearts.  He is our God and we are His people.  Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity.  When that doctrine is deeply implanted in our hearts, even the sting of death is soothed and our spiritual stamina is strengthened…” (“Covenants,” October 2011).  

                I was eight years old when I was baptized and made my first covenant with God.  I knew that I had done something good in becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I did not fully understand the covenant I made.  I probably do not fully understand it now, but I do understand more than I did as a child.  I renew my baptismal covenant every Sunday when I partake of the sacrament emblems, the bread representing the body of Christ and the water representing His blood.  This renewal became more and more important to me as I matured in my knowledge and understanding.  Partaking of the sacrament has become something that I do not miss unless I am too ill to attend sacrament meeting.

                I made other covenants when I went to the temple as a young adult, and I renew those covenants each time I act as proxy for someone else.  I recently had the opportunity to act as proxy for my sister-in-law who grew up in the Church but did not remain active.  For whatever reason, she chose a different way of life.  She has been on the other side of the veil for over a year now and most likely learned why the temple ordinances are important.  By doing her temple work for her, I gave her the opportunity to choose or reject the covenants I made in her name.  If she accepts, she receives the blessings; if she rejects, she lose those blessings. 

                My covenants with God are very important.  I think of them daily and remember to keep them.  I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that I can trust Him to keep His part of the covenant.  I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and I desire to please Them; therefore, I keep the covenants I made with Them and look for the promised blessings.

Early Birds or Night Owls

                Wise parents strengthen their families, communities, and nations by teaching their children to arise early.  These parents know the truthfulness of the adage “The early bird gets the worm.”  Our children may not like worms, but they can become successful by learning to appreciate the early morning hours.

                I understand the differences between early birds and night owls because I am an early bird, and my husband is a night owl.  Whenever I attempt to live on his schedule, my life turns up-side-down, and I eventually return to my own schedule.  I like the early morning hours while my husband insists that his body does not function well until mid-day.  I like to go to bed early while he is more nocturnal.  These differences have presented great challenges in our marriage, particularly after retirement.  I have learned to quietly slip out of bed in the wee hours of the morning and complete quiet tasks until he awakes later.

                Nothing I can say can change his thinking process, but he may believe an article put out by the American Association for Retired People (AARP) who published a study about early birds and night owls. http://blog.aarp.org/2012/06/18/are-morning-people-happier-healthier-than-night-owls/  Renee Bliss of the University of Toronto led “the team of researchers who studied two groups:  435 adults ages 17 to 38, and 297 older adults, ages 59 to 79.  Both groups filled out questionnaires about their emotions, how healthy they felt, and their preferred `time of day.’

                “By age 60, nearly all the participants described themselves as `morning types.’  Only 7 percent said they were night owls.  Compare that to young people where the percentage was reversed – only seven percent said they preferred the morning.

                “`We found that older adults reported greater positive emotion than younger adults, and older adults were more likely to be morning-type people than younger adults,’ Bliss said.  `The “morningness’ was associated with greater happiness emotions in both age groups.’

                “The morning people also tended to say they felt healthier than did night owls, Bliss reported.

                “This could be because they were getting better quality sleep – in other words, their bodies were more in sync with the natural rhythm of the day, unlike the night owls who spent a lot of their daylight hours wishing they were asleep.

                “As Bliss noted, `Society’s expectations are far more organized around a morning-type person’s schedule.’”

                Happiness is my greatest desire for my husband and me as well as for each of our children and grandchildren.  I love the early morning hours and have diligently tried to convince my family how wonderful they are.  Some members of the family have learned to take advantage of the morning hours to do their running and other activities while others prefer to sleep longer.  I have noticed, however, that my children insist that their children keep a regular bedtime schedule.  Most of them are teaching their children to sleep at night so they can enjoy the daylight hours.  I know by personal experience that our families, communities, and nations are happier and stronger when we all get quality sleep in sync with the natural rhythm of the day.

Gun Control and Crime

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that gun control does not work.  Every time a killing spree takes place, progressives renew their call for more gun control.  They do this in spite of the fact that gun control does not affect the people who are doing the killing.

                PoliceOne.com   is the leading law enforcement website in the country.  The organization released their findings from a national survey of police professionals regarding gun control policies and how they affect gun crime.

                “The survey, which was conducted in early March 2013, received 15,000 responses from law enforcement professionals.  It found that overall attitude of law enforcement is strongly anti-gun legislation and pro-gun rights, with the belief that an armed citizenry is effective in stopping crime.  Response percentages varied only slightly when analyzed by rank and department size.  Among the results:

·          86 percent feel the currently proposed legislation would have no effect or a negative effect on improving officer safety

·          Similarly, 92 percent feel that banning semi-automatic firearms, or `assault weapons,’ would have no effect or a negative effect on reducing violent crime

·          Demonstrating the opinion that the best way to combat gun crime is through harsher punishment, 91 percent said the use of a firearm while perpetrating a crime should lead to a stiff, mandatory sentence with no plea bargains.  Likewise, 59 percent believe increasing punishment severity for unlicensed dealers would reduce crime

·          Respondents were more split on background checks, with 31 percent agreeing that mental health background checks in all gun sales would help reduce mass shootings, while 45 percent disagreed

·          71 percent support law enforcement leaders who have publicly refused to enforce more restrictive gun laws within their jurisdictions

·          82 percent believe gun buyback or turn-in programs are ineffective in reducing the level of gun violence

·          91 percent support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or have not been deemed psychologically incapable

·          Likewise, 80 percent feel that legally-armed citizens would likely have reduced the number of casualties in recent mass shooting incidents

·          38 percent believe the biggest cause of gun violence in the United States is the `decline in parenting and family values.’  This was trailed by `overly lax parole and short sentencing standards’ at 15 percent and `pop culture influence’ (e.g. violent movies and videos) at 14 percent.

                “This survey was promoted by PoliceOne exclusively to its 400,000 registered members, comprised of individually-verified law

enforcement professionals.  Only current, former or retired law enforcement personnel were eligible to participate in the survey.

                “Respondents comprised a variety of ranks from departments of all sizes, with more than 28% representing departments of greater than 500 officers.  Of those who took the survey, 80 percent were current law enforcement officers and 20 percent were former/retired enforcement.

                “`This survey captures the perspective of an audience that has an intimate professional connection to gun policies in our country, yet is rarely heard from as a group in discussions on the issue,’ said Alex Ford, CEO of the Praetorian Group, PoliceOne’s parent company.  `Our standing as the leading online community in the law enforcement market enabled us to gather what we feel is the most meaningful sampling of police attitudes about gun control ever compiled.  There is clearly a wide range of opinions regarding this issue nationwide and we believe it’s important for our audience’s voice to be heard.’

                The full survey results can be viewed here.

                Law enforcement officers, the men and women who are most intimately involved with gun crime know gun control policies do not stop crime.  I believe it is time we listened to these officers and let them help make policies involved in fighting crime.