September 12, 2012 

My wonderful nephew Ford

Over my almost seven decades of life I have heard and seen many conversion stories. Mormons have become Catholics, Catholics have become Baptists, Christians have become Muslims, believer’s in God have determined that there is no God, and now you have become…?  Well, I am not sure. Your sister Janeen has become a well established member of a protestant church. I have never thought to ask her which because it is what she believes and she has maintained a steadfast love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Dr. Laura, of television and radio Psyche fame, determined that she could better serve God by converting to her father’s Jewish faith and that is good because she is a strong believer in God and his love for each of us. Your great Auntie Lola (Dolores) said it best when she declared, “Let’s just keep enjoying everyone and let God sort out this mess when we get there. Each of these people had an affinity to some religious group and lived by it’s tenants.

Back in the 1960’s there were two brothers with divergent political opinions. One strongly communist prone and the other the exact opposite – laying out daily newspaper discussions regarding the blessings of Capitalism, free enterprise, and the wonderful American experiment.  After several volleys, the pro-American brother wrote and captioned an article, “The Dumb arguments some highly intelligent people make.” Well, you are one of the brightest intelligences I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have always held you and your wonderful family in the highest regard. I always will, however, I would not be true to myself if I did not share my perspectives on your recent Face Book and personal email notes regarding your disillusionment with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We need not go into debate mode over our differences of opinion because that is unproductive and divisive, here is what I strongly recommend:

If you are unhappy with your spiritual upbringing, ie, the lies you have been told from infancy find another spiritual center. You are the holder of your spiritual guide. Call on God to bless you and your family with a positive place through which you may receive the blessings of heaven.

Don’t become involved in the negative nonsense. Discussions about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, whether Jacob or Esau should have carried the birthright, who was here before the Jaradites, nephrites, Mulekites, Asians, and a myriad of other people, the amount of climate change incurred because of man’s inhumanity to the earth, whether Catholic Irish are more acceptable to God than Protestant Irish.

Make no mistake about it. I have a strong and abiding testimony that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost;  that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God’s restored Church from the days when Christ was on the earth and was crucified and atoned for our sins. Should you, or anyone wish to see exactly what my beliefs in the “Mormon” church are predicated on, I refer you to the 13 Articles of Faith. You can find them as the last segment of the Pearl of Great Price. The first states that we believe in God the Eternal Father, in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; the 9^th, we believe all God has revealed, all that he does now reveal (modern revelation through God’s prophets,), and that he will reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God; the 11^th, we claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege; let them worship how, where, or what they may; and finally, the 13^th, we believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men, indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—we believe all things, we hope all things, and we have endured many things, and hope to endure all things, if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, we seek after these things.

 

People who don’t know where they are going, and just look for the negative in where they have been will always be looking and never finding. Much like in Alice in Wonderland when the Cheshire cat declared that if you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter how you get there.

 

Love your family. Take good care of your parents. Serve God in any way and in whatever capacity you find most fulfilling.

God bless you in all you do. May you find peace and joy in your earthly labors.

Uncle Duane, grandfather, father, uncle, cousin, brother, and most importantly, friend and Son of our Heavenly Father