Tantalizing Traps

Tantalizing Traps

          After nearly two weeks of recent sub-zero temperatures my wife and I decided that this past weekend we would take advantage of the slightly warmer weather and sunshine, bust out of our hibernation and take our dogs out along the river for a snowshoeing adventure.  I’ve written some about my dogs and their personalities in a previous POST, and this remains true when we are out snowshoeing as well as when I take them for a run.

          Everything started out great and we were all having a wonderful time enjoying the fresh air, “partially warm” sunshine, and the beautiful scenery along the river where we had decided to spend the afternoon.  After the Holidays and all of the excess sweets and goodies which had been consumed, the activity and exertion of trudging through the path of deep snow was just what my body needed.

          With the snow covering the path and making it somewhat more difficult to discern, along with the fact that I felt out of shape and needed to catch my breath, we paused periodically to take in the view and make sure we were on the heading the right direction.  The path meandered along the river on one side, with trees and fallen logs strewn along the other.

 

           Our dogs were enjoying themselves, with our energetic Abby tending to bound ahead, forging her own trail, which zig-zagged back and forth from the icy river bottoms to out in the trees and obstacles on either side of the trail.  While our floppy Bassett hound Missy, whose short legs tended to make snow-breaking difficult, tended to hang pretty close to us and follow in the tracks our snow shoes left behind for easier travel.

          Dogs sometimes have a problem, that when their nose starts working, their brain shuts off.  I remember as I saw them run down to the partially frozen over and still flowing river, that I commented to my wife that I hoped they didn’t fall through the fragile ice, which was full of the game tracks left behind by some lighter birds or smaller animals which had scurried about its surface sometime before.  I wasn’t only worried about the dogs slipping in and getting cold or swept downstream, but also about the possibility that if they did, I might have to leave the safety of the trail and plunge in to get them out, which would pretty much ruin an otherwise wonderful day.

          Focusing along the enticing sights and magnificence of the river on one side, I had failed pay attention so much to the trees and fallen logs along the other side of the trail.  As I stopped to take out my phone for a few pictures, as a pair of Bald Eagles soared over our heads, the air was suddenly pierced by the agonizing and terrified howls of pain of our dog Abby, who had run off into the trees outside the path.

          I could hear her thrashing about behind some fallen logs, and immediately became concerned she had become entangled in a fight with some slumbering badger or other wild creature which was obviously getting the better of her, as her cries were that of helplessness and terror.  My wife was ahead of me and ran ahead screaming in fright, as I was trying to grab my walking poles as a means of defense if I had to fight off some wild creature.

          By the time I looked up, my wife was also rolling around on the ground behind the logs and screaming for help, I my heart pounded in fright as I ran to try to protect them!

          As I came upon the scene, I realized that our dog, in her bounding search for excitement off the edges of the path, had stepped in a wild game trap, which had been placed by some trapper.  This steel trap was secured to one of the fallen logs by a thick steel chain.

My wife was trying to hold her still, and in the confusion and pain, and not understanding that she was trying to help, our dog had bitten her on the hand.  As I instructed my wife to hold our dog as still as possible, I was able to brush away the loose snow and find the release levers for the trap, and with some effort, push them down to release the spring and allow our dogs foot to finally come free.

Slightly bloodied, sore and subdued, our dog hunkered down alongside us on the path, licking her wounds as my wife comforted her, assessed her own bruised and bitten hand, and our hearts all tried to regain a normal rhythm.  In nervousness I began to look around, suddenly alert and apprehensive, and quickly discovered that at least two more traps were set nearby, cleverly and expertly hidden along both sides of the path beneath a slight covering of snow, but with the menacing steel teeth of their jaws visible in their concealed position.

Worried that our dogs might accidentally step into the closest one to where we were standing I used a stick to trigger the trap, and despite knowing what would happen, still jumped as the metal jaws snapped tight and held fast to the stick so securely that I could not pull it free.  My wife then wisely advised me, that rather that searching about and trying to remove the threat of any other unseen traps and risking getting caught unawares in one ourselves, that it would be best to stay on the path we already knew was safe, and retrace our steps back towards home.

In the end, our dog was luckily alright, with only a bruised and slightly bloodied paw, which she is now walking around on without any limp.  And my wife, who was luckily wearing a glove, had only some bruising and soreness from being accidentally bitten in the confusion of the moment.

I couldn’t’ help but come away from the adventure with a sense of pondering about the lessons that could be learned from the experience.

(Now I want to make sure, and have it clearly understood, that I am in no way condemning the trapper who laid those snares along the river way.  I support anyone’s legal right to hunt, fish or trap as they please – but am just using the true story to prove a point.)

Much like is described in the Book of Mormon, Lehi’s vision describes a safe path which leads to a “Tree of Life”, which is beset by distractions, a river on one side, mists of darkness which lead to pitfalls and snares of wickedness.  The only way to safely arrive at the desired destination is to hold fast to a rod of iron which runs along the pathway.

Such is true for both our snowshoe hike and our daily walk through life.  There is a safe path which is designated for us to travel through life.  It is contained in the Commandments, Holy Scriptures teachings of the prophets, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost, all of which are there to help us see more clearly the path which leads safely through the traps and snares of the adversary.

Often times, because we are mortal, and easily distracted by the enticements of life and what is constantly before us outside the safety of the path, we wander in “exploration” and find, after it is too late, that we or someone we love is caught in a trap from which we cannot free ourselves.  We have all likely personally experienced or at least know someone who has suffered from the effects of drug addiction, pornography, alcoholism, smoking, or a countless list of other destructive behaviors.

If we have loved ones going through such difficulties, or are experiencing them ourselves, we must realize that there are those around us who love us, and like my wife will reach out with steadying and supportive arms to try and keep us from harm.  Without knowing, those ensnared may react defensively, not realizing they are trying to help.  But those who love us will always be there.

But despite all of that, there is one thing that is absolutely necessary to truly become free from the trappings of life – someone who knows how to truly understand the situation, and has the ability and power to release the trap and fully set us free.  And for that, there is literally only ONE being who can do that for us – our Savior Jesus Christ.

He will not violate our agency, and will let us experience life, but he has set a straight and narrow path before us that is safe and free from danger, as long as we stay on the trail.  He knows that there are traps about us, which are dressed up and may look more exciting than the consistency of the path, and that is why He came and atoned for our sins and mistakes, so that he knows how to release the traps in which we become helplessly entangled, if we will but call out to Him sincerely for His divine help and assistance.

I should also make it clear, that just stopping sinful behavior doesn’t free us from the trapping of sin. My dog could have sat still in the same place indefinitely, without any further wandering into unsafe areas, but she still would have been caught by the trap until I set her free.  The same is true for us and our sins.  We cannot simply stop the behavior and expect to be free.  We must turn to the Lord who recognized where the trappings of our lives lie, and fully release us from them to be free once again.

This world is so very troubled and confused, with morals and ethics which are as unstable as shifting sand.  Thank God for his stable and sure footed pathway, which can lead us safely through, and for our divine Deliverer, who is able to set us free and return us to solid and safe ground once again when we have gone astray!

The Plague of Unbelief

The Plague of Unbelief

For any of you who have read some of my previous blogs, you may soon recognize that this one is not only much more serious in its tone, but also much more important as to the content of its message.  And that’s because I feel prompted to hopefully raise some awareness concerning a PLAGUE of which almost every single person on the planet is suffering.

“A plague?!” you ask.

Yes.  Absolutely.  Now let me explain what kind of plague I am talking about and why it is so important to our welfare both during this mortal journey and throughout the eternities to come after we eventually die.

The definition of the word “Plague” refers to something that is “an epidemic, widespread, something that causes continual trouble or distress to, afflict, torment, trouble,” and so forth.

The plague of which I speak, is the Plague of Unbelief.

They say that the first and most important step in overcoming a problem, is to first recognize and admit that you actually have a problem that needs to be addressed.  And therefore, as part of my own personal attempt to overcome my UNBELIEF, I will be the first one to admit that it afflicts me likely as much as it does anyone else who suffers because of it.

What I am focusing on here DOESN’T have anything to do with science, the philosophies of men, political schemes or secular notions and social programs.  What I am talking about is the epidemic of Unbelief which afflicts all things spiritually in our lives and strips us of the ability to fully receive of God’s promised blessings.

Let me give a few examples of what I am talking about: (and I will preface these examples by saying that they come from my perspective and beliefs as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).  We read and believe in the stories from the Scriptures and accept them as reality, but fail to believe that the same rules apply to us in our own personal lives.

For example, we read the account in 1 Kings 17 of when the prophet Elijah went to the widow during a time of severe famine, and asked her to exert her faith and belief by preparing the last bit of her food, which she was about to prepare for her and her son as their last meal before they died.  He said to her, “Fear not; go and do… and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and thy son.  For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”  We know that the scriptures then tell us the outcome that, ‘and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.”

What we see in this example is how the Lord can take something small that in and of itself isn’t very much, and multiply and bless it to become something of far greater and more lasting worth.  We read that story in the scriptures and believe and rejoice in the simple truth of the account, BUT when many are asked by the Lord’s servants to pay our Tithing as commanded in the Scriptures, they struggle to believe that doing so will bless them more than if they selfishly keep the 10% for themselves. The Lord has promised us that if we will pay and honest tithe, he will “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).  We may struggle to pay tithes because although we have faith in what the scriptures say, we fail to believe that those same promises apply to us personally.

Another example we read and readily believe is the account of Moses (in the book of Numbers), when the Israelites were afflicted and being bitten by fiery serpents, Moses, following the commandment of the Lord, made a brass serpent and fastened it to the end of a pole and instructed the people who were bitten, to look upon the brass serpent on the pole and they would be healed. Yet, “because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).  We read such a story and quickly proclaim how foolish they were to not perform something simple act which could have saved them, BUT when our personal trials and afflictions and life are bringing us down, how often do we quickly turn to internet distractions, secular philosophies and scientific cures rather than the simple act of turning to look to Christ who can heal us from all of our infirmities. “And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto life which is eternal.” (Helaman 8:15).

How often have we heard and readily believed the scriptural account of Noah building his Ark, while also calling upon the people to repent, so that they would not suffer the calamity of the flood which God was about to pour out upon the earth to cleanse it from wickedness.  Yet when our current living Prophet and Apostles have warned us and called upon us to protect the sanctity of the family in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” many struggle to support and sustain those leaders; Instead, trying to justify the worldly views and trends regarding same-sex marriage, transgender behaviors, and are actively engaged in the destructive habits of pornography, are quick to file for divorce when things in their marriages become difficult, etc…  In this discussion I am not wanting to state anything judgmental against those who suffer from these behaviors, but as we see the world descending into chaos around us, with gang violence, teenagers engaging in Knock-out games, civil rights and entitlement protests, mass shootings, and other endless behaviors which demonstrate our societal decay, far too many people tend to look to political solutions, social programs, entitlement programs, etc.. Rather than looking to the cure for the problem, which lies in establishing and sustaining wholesome family values and relationships.  The prophets even warned us in the above listed Proclamation, much like Noah did as he was building the Ark, “WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

We believe the Lord’s commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” but fail to believe that our personal worldly behaviors on the Sabbath day will have a spiritual detriment to our well-being.

We proclaim and profess faith that the temples are the "House of the Lord", but our Unbelief causes us to think that other worldly activities are more important than attending and worshiping there regularly.

We have faith in God’s commandments to “Love Him and Love thy neighbor as thy self”, but then fail to keep His commandments, and feel justified in holding onto personal grudges against those who have different religious, political or social viewpoints.  We suffer from the Unbelief that those things apply to us in our circumstances and therefore we are justified in our unrepentant behaviors.

We believe that the widow’s mite was of greater worth than the public donations made by the publicans, yet our Unbelief often leads us into behaviors in attempt to gain the praise of men for our actions, instead of simply giving from our heart to those around us in anonymity.  On the flip side of that equation, when we do give the small amount that we can based on our meager circumstances, we often suffer from the Unbelief that such efforts don’t have merit in the eyes of the Lord, who in reality looks upon the intent of our heart, rather than the size of the offerings we give.

We believe and have faith that Christ can forgive the woman taken in adultery, or forgive and make a righteous servant out of someone wicked like Saul/Paul, and that He even has enough love to forgive those who were crucifying Him, saying “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”  Yet we are plagued by the Unbelief that He can forgive us of our trespasses if we will but turn to Him and commit to doing His will.

We read of His miraculous healings of blindness, leprosy, crippling infirmities, and even raising people from the dead, yet we often suffer from the Unbelief that such healings can take place in our own lives through His infinite Grace and the authority and power of His priesthood.

We rejoice as He calmed to storm upon the sea, but fail to believe that He can calm to storms of life and the tempests which rage in our own souls.

In a book entitled, “The Triumph of Zion”, John Pontius once wrote:  “Our every act is driven by a belief.  Whether that belief is based upon truth, or upon a misconception, determines whether that act is righteous or evil.  Often, our faith can be profound, while our belief about how that faith applies to us can limit, or even eliminate, our enjoyment of the fruits of our faith.  Such faith opposing belief is called ‘unbelief’ in the scriptures.  It is not necessarily an absence of faith and can coexist with faith quite companionably. But it is nevertheless an effective and often long-lived damnation of our faith…  So it is unbelief, not necessarily a lack of faith, but unbelief that keeps us captive in a state of wickedness.  Does it seem harsh to characterize unbelief as wickedness? What is wickedness if not something that destroys our faith?  False beliefs always send us off in pursuit of some path other than the one that leads to exaltation.  And pursuing a forbidden path is always the result of failure to heed His voice…  Our minds are robbed of the light of our own faith through our inability to believe the truths that surround us.”

49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.

 50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.

 51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

 52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

 53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

 54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

 55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. (D&C 84: 49-55)

In summary, I will confess again that I myself, along with all of humanity, suffer to one degree or another from the Plague of Unbelief.  My only hope is that we might all cling more firmly to the faith which exists in our hearts, rather than in the unbelief which often exists in our minds.

I hope we can all realize that the source of overcoming Unbelief, is the same source of all peace, happiness and joy that is to be found - in our Savior Jesus Christ.  He literally is the Way, the Truth, and the Light which illuminates our path in the darkness!

When we find ourselves faced with the symptoms of this plague of Unbelief, I hope and pray that we might answer as did the hopeful father, who brought his crippled child unto the Lord, as found in Mark 9:23-24, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF.”

Cracked Perspectives

Cracked Perspective

As I was driving into town the other day, I happened to turn in a parking lot and the light of the sun was caught and reflected rather brilliantly across the large crack in the front windshield of my old car.  So brightly in fact, that it couldn't be ignored and it caused me to change directions so that I could more clearly see where I was going and didn't run into anything.

Now that crack in the windshield has been there for far longer than I can even remember, and most of the time, I have been able to look past the rather large imperfection and pretend it doesn't bother me or what I see as I am driving about.  But when the light of that rising sun hit that long and jagged fault, pretending it wasn't there was out of the question.

As I pondered that event and how quickly my focus and frame of reference had been altered by the reflection of the light, I couldn't help but consider the implications of the lesson.

All of us are broken.  It’s a simple fact.  Each and every one of us is flawed, imperfect, and marred by the scars of life which, like my old windshield, were either inflicted upon us by the trauma from an outside source, or from not negotiating life’s jarring potholes carefully enough.  Either way, the result is a damaged and cracked soul.

We humans are pretty good at doing two different things in regards to these cracks in our personal windshields:

1. We pretend that these flaws either don’t exist, or that they are small enough that they aren't an impediment to our ability to navigate safely.  So we just go on trying to ignore them, which leads to nothing but eventual internal misery because we are living in falsehood.

OR

2.    We focus so closely and specifically upon our faults and imperfections that we fail to look past them to see our true potential.  We become paralyzed by our flaws and shortcomings and are unable to see what lies beyond.

In the case of example number 1 listed above (which I was certainly doing with my own windshield), we can easily become immune to recognizing our brokenness, and it takes the occasional brilliant illuminating light of the “SON” to awaken in bright recognition which we cannot ignore.  We can then recognize the things that are wrong with our lives, and which cloud our vision and progress. His light, although initially uncomfortable to our perception, is a blessing which allows us to correct our course to a more appropriate path.  The wonderful thing about recognizing our flaws in His light, is that He can not only helps us change course, but is also able to help fix our windshield completely so that the flaw no longer exists (at least until the next of life’s potholes finds us once again).

In the second example, many times we tend to look far short of the mark.  We can easily become so focused on our flaws and imperfections that they become all that we can see.  The problem with this self-wallowing form of recognition is that we start to believe that we are the crack, rather than the entire automobile heading toward a much larger destination.

We are not just the crack in the windshield… No, we are something much more intricate and divine than that!  We are a divinely crafted being with so many other moving parts of our lives, all of which work together to help us progress down life’s road.

No matter which category we may fall into, the Light of Christ can not only illuminate the things we have wrong in our lives and show us how to fix them, but He helps us be able to change directions, rearrange our perspective, and look beyond our current flaws and realize that there is something much more important to be focused on in regards to our eventual destination!

The Life Altering Power of Choice

The Life Altering Power of Choice

          I normally have a rather comical side to the blogs I write, or at least try to tie some humor of certain life observations or spiritual lessons I discuss, in order to bring an optimistic smile to those who may sacrifice a few moments of time to read what I have tried to say.  But today I want to write with a more serious tone of something that literally has a life or death level of impact in our existence and happiness: The life altering power of Choice!

          Agency (or the ability to choose for ourselves) is a gift from God.  Life, health, breath and all our senses are also gifts from God, but despite all our efforts, we don’t’ have much control over those things.  We are all prone to sickness, disease and eventually death. But choice is different.  It is the one thing of actual power that we possess independently ourselves.

          Now many of the choices we make aren’t of the life or death variety, such as: what brand of toothpaste we use, what color of clothes we wear, what kind of cereal we eat for breakfast, etc… and many in society use that rationale and extend it out into the public concepts that people can choose to live however they want and it’s okay, because whatever pleases that individual is his/her right of choice.  They plead their case out into the arenas of defining what marriage is, claiming that pornography or infidelity is acceptable behavior, or legalization of drugs is a right or simple freedom of choice for those who want to indulge in such behavior.

          But many of the choices we make actually do have a life or death level of influence in our lives, such as: "Am I going to stop at the red light at the busy intersection?"

          You see, I can choose to jump off a cliff without a parachute if I want to experience the brief and false feeling of flight, but I can’t alter the laws of gravity to prevent the subsequent crushing outcome of landing on the jagged rocks below.

          Let me illustrate this point by sharing a personal story of a friend of mine, (whom I will not name).   When we were young kids, we lived across the street from one another, went to school together in the same grade, were deacons in our local church, camped out with our local Boy Scout group, had sleep-overs, etc…  In many ways we were from what most would say were similar environments.

          But along the way as the years went by and we advanced up into the Junior High School age, something happened to my friend and neighbor.  His parents got divorced when he was 8 years old (I don’t know the exact reasons why and won’t begin to speculate here), but this broken home led to some gradual differences over time.

          It wasn’t apparent during childhood, but he suffered from a condition known as “delayed growth syndrome”, which became apparent when I and most of his classmates hit puberty and started to grow facial hair and muscles, while he stayed small in stature with physically stunted growth.  Unfortunately this led to many of the kids in school teasing or harassing him at times.  He seemed to laugh and take it all in stride, but I know personally that it hurt him and caused him to feel like he didn’t fit into the normal group anymore.

          If I remember correctly, he went away for a while one summer between our 8^th and 9^th grade years, to either spend time with his father or an uncle.  I don’t know if it was to give his mother a break or spend some time with a male figure in his life, but when he came back at the start of the next school year he had changed in some small ways.

          He no longer came to church with the other boys, and because he was staying physically smaller, he no longer participated in the school sports activities.  As a result of this and the unfortunate occasional jokes as his expense, he started hanging out with a different group of kids who were also outcasts of a sort, because they liked to swear, sneak smoking cigarettes and drinking a few beers, etc…  (This behavior may be common among many areas of the country, but in our hometown of Rexburg, Idaho which is a fairly majority Mormon town, it was an aberrational behavior).  But these kids accepted him into their group of “different” kids and soon he chose to adopt some of their other behaviors, which unfortunately grew into experimentation with further alcohol and drug use.

          I didn’t know it at the time, but because of the teasing, he tried some medically supervised hormone treatments to increase his physical growth, but which had the unfortunate side effect of making him irritable and angry.  This combination soon led to some behavioral problems which had him in and out of the juvenile detention system, and as the rest of us progressed into high school, he wasn’t around very much at all.  He dropped out of school and I kind of lost track of him for a while as I went on with my own teenage life.

          At that time, as my friend drifted away, I started to come to a deeper realization of the importance of my family and religion in my life.  After my graduation from high school I voluntarily chose to serve a 2 year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Los Angeles, and experienced the wonderful growth and development that came with serving and giving of myself for the benefit of others.

          Unbeknownst to me, while I was away serving in California, my lost friend was battling a severe addiction to Cocaine.  With a juvenile record and an addiction, he had also turned to a life of crime in order to steal money for more drugs.  This next part of the story might be a little hard to read, but it is all completely true.

          On July 15, 1987, while I was away teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in Los Angeles, my friend attempted to rob a small grocery store in a nearby town of Ashton, Idaho.  He had hidden in the back of Jack’s Grocery Store with a gun and watched as the wife of the owner, a mother of two children, brought the cash from the registers back into safe.  Thinking she had left he came out of hiding to steal the money, but she returned and caught him.  He shot her in the stomach and then promised to call an ambulance for her if she opened the safe.  When she did, he then shot her point blank in the head and killed her.  He was later caught and confessed to the crime.

          When I returned home from my mission on December 24^th, 1987 to a joyful celebration with my family, my former friend was on trial for first degree murder. He was convicted, narrowly avoiding the death penalty, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

          There are several factors about this story that I would like to discuss.  While some of the things apply directly to my friend’s situation, they also have some general relation to the world at large.  I am certainly not trying to tackle every social issue in depth, but simply pose some general comparisons and thoughts about certain issues.

          As I mentioned before, I don’t know the reason behind why my friend’s parents were divorced.  Divorce was still quite rare back in those days, but in today’s society with the at-fault divorce process the rates are staggering.  Couples seem to view marriage as something of convenience and throw the commitment and covenants of marriage out the window as soon as things get a little difficult or tough, leaving behind broken homes with single parents struggling to raise children and confused children often blaming themselves for why mom and dad aren’t still together.

          Think of just a few of the ramifications of choosing divorce (which we can’t possibly cover completely here), but single parents are more likely to end up needed government or church welfare assistance to survive, which can degrade feelings of self-worth.  Or often the single parent is forced to leave the home to work more, leaving behind a society of latch-key children who, without the regular influence of two parents are then left to video games, television or other peers to find their way through many of their formative years.

          Think of how the choice of viewing pornography has affected marital relationships and views of sexual intimacy in society.  With such filth and perversion so readily available in today’s world, many struggle with addictions that literally alter thinking patterns in the brain, degrade women, contribute to world problems of child kidnapping and a whole underworld of human trafficking that supporters of pornography like to sweep under the rug and pretend doesn’t exist.  The personal choices people make along this path, thinking that it is a personal and private decision, have ramifications which literally ripple out through generations of broken souls and lives.

          Consider how the choice of consuming alcohol can affect relationships.  Now I know that many feel that casual drinking is okay and doesn’t affect them, but anything that dulls your senses and removes inhibitions can lead to changed behavior, more serious alcoholism, which in turn has a history of domestic violence, shattered homes, and crime.  While not the case for many, the fact still remains that most hard core drug addictions likely begin with the initial choices of recreational smoking or alcohol consumption, which then leads to further drug experimentation and more serious addiction like my friend.

          Then there is the choice many teenagers and youth make to tease, bully or socially isolate others because they are different.  The news headlines are full of stories of teenage suicide, shooting rampages, or acts of violence which are related to these social issues, all of which stem from the lack of respect for others, absence of human decency, selfishness, and general decline in societal values.

          We could go on and discuss volumes about how moral and societal declines are related to increased divorce, violence, crime and so forth, but that is not the main point I want to expound on today.  And although my friend had a series of unfortunate things in his life, like the divorce of his parents, and physical problem, etc… I am not attempting to say that his problems were all the fault of someone else (although those things certainly did contribute to his situation).

          What I’m really trying to point out here is how our individual choices affect so much further than just our own personal satisfaction and situation.

          My friend’s choices left behind a devastated mother and siblings, not to mention a widower and two children who had to be raised without a mother, which in turn impacted their lives and subsequently many others.

          Now I am nothing special and have made my own share of mistakes along the way, but I have often thought over the years how our lives, though my friend and I started out in very similar circumstances, could have taken us in different directions.  I have at times lamented and wondered if I perhaps could have done something to help him.  Yet I feel so very blessed to have all of the wonderful freedoms and loving family relationships I personally enjoy.

          The fact is that we are all a result of the choices we make with the agency we have been given from a loving Heavenly Father, who wants to bless us and help us become more like Him if we will but use that agency to choose to follow Him.

          When as individuals and a society we choose to follow our own path of selfish, personal, fleeting gratification outside of the Lord’s guidelines, then an unfortunate ripple effect of broken hearts, broken homes and opportunities lost becomes evident in not only individuals, but society and the world at large today.  Thinking that our personal choices don’t have an effect on others around us is foolish.  The world, nations, states and local communities are merely the combined result of individuals and families and how they function. When viewed in that light of magnification, the individual choices we make every day have more of a life and death impact on our communities and nations than we can possibly realize.

          I know that many may disagree with these views and opinions. But the effect of the difference in choices between me and my friend is just an example of how a single choice or pattern of choices can, if we are not careful, can lead us down a vastly different path than we could ever imagine.

          My hope is that we can all comprehend a little more clearly how our individual choices impact not only ourselves, but our families (including generations yet to come), and so much more than we realize.  That is why the unchanging standards and commandments of God and the personal behavior that comes from following those values is so vitally needed in our personal lives and the world at large today!

          Just think of how different individuals, families and communities would be if each individual or their own free will and choice lived and taught the Christian standards and principles of love, respect, service and compassion for those around them!

          As I mentioned before, I realize that many may disagree with some of this thinking, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if so, I challenge you to show me a better, more effective way to solve individual, family or world problems.

          Study and implementation of societal and government programs cannot and will never be able to replace the powerful effect and positive change in individuals, families, communities, nations and the world, as each individual's choice to follow the commandments and gospel of Jesus Christ!

          And that all starts with the individual choices we make each and every day!

“A determining and defining moment lies ahead for all mortals. Yet that defining moment turns on our choices today.” – Elder Neal A. Maxwell