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April 30, 2008
Ron Paul at Google
It ain't over till its over....Go Ron Go!
Click on the image to get to Ron Pauls web site
A few more videos:
Ron Paul on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno:
Ron Paul on the Pennsylvania Primary Vote
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:58 AM
The Final Five
(L-R) American Idol contestants Syesha Mercado, Jason Castro, Brooke White, David Archuleta, and David Cook arrive at the Britweek launch party at the British Consul Generals' residence in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
I'm thinking Jason will go home this week, but they are all so good, it is difficult to say. David Cook has the best voice, pure gold, but our whole family loves Syesha, Brooke, and David A, so it is challenging to predict who should be next.
David singing Coming to America last night - AWESOME!!!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:47 AM
April 29, 2008
Rice
I noticed the last time I opened my Basmati Rice bin that it was getting low, so today I asked Paul to stop by Sams Club and get me some more of this excellent rice from Tibet.
He phoned just a few minutes ago and told me they were rationing rice. Then I read this article on the web. IT confirmed that Sams club was rationing rice. Paul picked up four bags of the Uncle Bens white rice that I normally do not cook with. But they were completely out of our favorite rice.
I dont' store rice in our long term food storage because it is typically the worst in terms of weevils infestations. I do have about twenty pounds of brown basmati stored in a bin, but will miss the white basmati because our family loves it so much. I plan to keep looking for it in bulk as this current food crisis develops, because if we truly do move to living off of our storage, it will be very important to have this easy to digest food on hand.
I was talking to the children about the truckers march on washington yesterday and told them that if they strike, we could see rioting over food in America. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I feel very safe having a literal ton of food in my basement, with a three month water supply. But because of the media stories in the local press about my food storage class, thousands of people in my community know about this food, and if they all happen to head to the Hatch household hungry, it will be gone in a matter of hours.
We'll see how it all plays out. Our Stake President has been couseling our local congregation to get in a three month supply of food for their families. A three month food crisis in America would be a sobering spectacle.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 11:36 AM
April 28, 2008
The Hatch Family A Freebirthin' Montage
Here is a montage of some pictures from our family life of the past nineteen years. We have evolved to a lifestyle that is extremely removed from current medical care around birth and babies.
Jenny Hatch
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:31 AM
Sunday School Lesson 14: The Gift of the Holy Ghost
Here is the text for my upcoming lesson on the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Jenny Hatch - Sunday School Teacher for 12 and 13 year olds.
One of the choicest blessings we will ever receive comes to each of us shortly after baptism, when bearers of the Melchizedek Priesthood place their hands on our head and say, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” We are then entitled to guidance from the Holy Ghost as long as we remain worthy. All of us face daily decisions—some small, some monumental—involving eternal blessings. The Holy Ghost can impress on our hearts and minds the direction the Lord would have us go. Help class members understand that this gift from Heavenly Father is one of our greatest resources.
As you teach this lesson, be sensitive to the feelings of class members who have not yet been baptized and confirmed.
Suggested Lesson Development
Being Born of the Spirit
Scripture discussion
Write on the chalkboard We must be born of __________ and of __________ __________ to enter the kingdom of God. Remind class members that you discussed being born again in the previous lesson, and ask them to fill in the blanks in the statement. (If they need help in doing so, have them find and read John 3:5.)
• How do we become born of water? (By being baptized.)
• How do we become born of the Spirit? (By receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost after baptism.)
Explain that before Jesus was crucified, he promised his Apostles that after he died Heavenly Father would send a Comforter to be with them (see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13). This Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, would testify of Jesus Christ. He would also comfort the Apostles and help them know what to do when Jesus was gone. Tell class members that this lesson will help them understand how they, like Jesus’ Apostles, can be blessed and strengthened by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost
Note to the teacher
Ask questions that encourage thought and discussion rather than questions that can be answered with a single word or statement. Pause for a few moments after asking a question so that class members have time to think about their answers. (See Teaching—No Greater Call, 106.)
Discussion
• Who is the Holy Ghost?
Have class members share what they know about the Holy Ghost. If class members do not mention the following points, bring them up yourself:
1. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. (See 1 John 5:7; Articles of Faith 1:1.)
2. He is a personage of Spirit. He is a person, but he does not have a body of flesh and bones as Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do. (See D&C 130:22.)
3. He is also known as the Comforter, the Spirit, the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit. (See D&C 75:27; 84:46; 76:53.)
Scripture activity
Assign each class member or pair of class members to look up and read one of the following scriptures: John 14:26; 2 Nephi 32:5; Moroni 10:5; Doctrine and Covenants 11:12; Doctrine and Covenants 42:17.
Then have class members read their assigned scriptures aloud and tell what each scripture says about what the Holy Ghost does. List the responses on the chalkboard.
• What must we do to have the Holy Ghost help us with all these things? (We must receive the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands after we are baptized, and then we must live worthy of that gift.)
Teacher presentation
Explain that a person can be influenced by the Holy Ghost before baptism. The Holy Ghost helps people know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that the gospel is true. But the gift of the Holy Ghost can only be received after baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the privilege and right to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost at all times. This gift is given through the laying on of hands by those who have proper Melchizedek Priesthood authority, and it remains in effect as long as we are trying to live righteously. The Holy Ghost can bring us comfort, help us choose between right and wrong, and direct us in what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do. (You may want to mention also that answers to our prayers often come through promptings from the Holy Ghost.)
Recognizing the Promptings of the Holy Ghost
Story and discussion
Explain that if we are worthy to receive help from the Holy Ghost and willing to listen to him, he will always help us. Sometimes, however, it takes experience and practice to learn how to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Read or tell the following account by Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“One of our sons has always been interested in radio. When he was a little fellow, his Christmas present was a very elementary radio construction set.
“As he grew, and as we could afford it, and as he could earn it, he received more sophisticated equipment.
“There have been many times over the years, some very recently, when I have sat with him as he talked with someone in a distant part of the world.
“I could hear static and interference and catch a word or two, or sometimes several voices at once.
“Yet he can understand, for he has trained himself to tune out the interference.
“It is difficult to separate from the confusion of life that quiet voice of inspiration. Unless you attune yourself, you will miss it. … You can train yourself to hear what you want to hear, to see and feel what you desire, but it takes some conditioning.
“There are so many of us who go through life and seldom, if ever, hear that voice of inspiration, because ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned’ (1 Cor. 2:14)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 27–28; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 19–20).
• How are the promptings of the Holy Ghost like the radio signal in this story? (Answers may include that we must pay close attention to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost; other things can cause interference and distract us from listening to the Holy Ghost; as we gain experience in listening to the Holy Ghost, we are better able to hear and understand him.)
Chalkboard and scripture discussion
Point out that although we talk about “hearing” or “listening to” the Holy Ghost, he rarely speaks to us in an audible voice, like another person speaks to us. His promptings usually come in other ways.
Explain that the scriptures teach us several ways in which promptings from the Holy Ghost may come. Write D&C 6:23 on the chalkboard, and have class members read and mark this verse.
• What is one way the Holy Ghost communicates with us?
Write Peace on the chalkboard following D&C 6:23. Explain that if we feel peaceful about a question or decision, that is usually the Holy Ghost telling us that what we have decided is right.
Write D&C 8:2 on the chalkboard, and have class members read and mark this verse.
• What does this scripture tell us about how the Holy Ghost communicates with us?
Write Knowledge in our minds and hearts on the chalkboard following D&C 8:2. Explain that sometimes the Holy Ghost gives us thoughts or feelings that we could not receive from any other source. For example, we may know that a friend needs encouragement, even though he or she appears happy and has not said anything about feeling discouraged. This knowledge is an example of communication from the Holy Ghost. A knowledge that the gospel is true also comes this way.
Write D&C 11:13 on the chalkboard, and have class members read and mark this verse.
• What does this scripture tell us about how the Holy Ghost communicates with us?
Write Enlightenment and joy on the chalkboard following D&C 11:13. Explain that the Holy Ghost can enlighten our minds by helping us understand things, such as the meaning of a passage of scripture we have read. He can also give us feelings of joy to help us know we are doing what is right.
Following the Promptings of the Holy Ghost
Discussion
• What should we do when we receive promptings from the Holy Ghost?
Point out that we should follow the promptings we receive from the Holy Ghost, even if it is sometimes difficult to do so.
• Why does it sometimes take courage to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost?
Quotation
Have a class member read the following statement from Elder F. Enzio Busche of the Seventy:
“It takes courage and commitment to follow the promptings of the Spirit because they may frighten us as they lead us to walk along new paths, sometimes paths that no one has walked before, paths of the second mile, of acting totally differently from how worldly people act. For instance, we may be prompted to smile when someone offends us, to give love where others give hate, to say thank you where others would not find anything to be thankful for, to accept jobs that others would be too proud to do, to apologize where others would defend themselves, and to do all the seemingly crazy things that the Spirit prompts a righteous, honest, listening heart to do” (“The Only Real Treasure,” New Era, Dec. 1979, 5).
Explain that promptings from the Holy Ghost tell us things Heavenly Father wants us to know or do. The blessings we receive from following these promptings outweigh any difficulty or inconvenience we may experience from doing so.
Quotation and discussion
Read the following comments from a man who was a convert to the Church. Do not reveal the man’s identity until after the questions have been discussed.
“I cannot help but think back to the day when I, as an investigator of the Church, was confronted with the missionaries’ challenge to prepare for my baptism. This step seemed to be too big for me to take, but … I already had a testimony burning within me of the truthfulness of this work. …
“So I accepted the challenge for baptism, with a fearful heart, but I told the missionaries that I would do it only on two conditions: First, that I would never be called to any Church position, and second, that I would never have to give a talk.”
• Why did it take courage for this man to join the Church? (Joining the Church would require him to make changes in his life.)
• Why did he decide to be baptized? (The Holy Ghost had helped him gain a testimony of the gospel.)
• What might have happened to this convert if he had followed the promptings of the Holy Ghost to be baptized, then rejected later promptings by refusing to accept a calling or give a talk?
Explain to class members that this man did follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost after baptism as well as before. He is Elder F. Enzio Busche of the First Quorum of the Seventy, the same man who made the statement that was read aloud by a class member a few minutes ago. Elder Busche told about his baptism in general conference, concluding with the following remarks:
“Without the loving influence and the power and security of the Holy Ghost, which I received by the laying on of hands after baptism to help me, I could not have done anything in my various Church assignments” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, 37; or Ensign, May 1980, 27).
Quotation
Give the four papers containing the quotation below to four class members. Explain that after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young had a dream in which Joseph Smith appeared to him and gave him some instructions. (See Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1846–1847, comp. Elden J. Watson [1971], 529–30.) Have the four class members share those instructions with the class by reading their papers in numerical order.
1. “Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach you what to do and where to go. …
2. “Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God.
3. “Tell the brethren if they will follow the spirit of the Lord they will go right.
4. “Be sure to tell the people to keep the Spirit of the Lord.”
Testimony
Testify of the value of the gift of the Holy Ghost in your life, and express your gratitude that Heavenly Father has given this gift to help us. As appropriate, you may want to tell class members about a time when you were prompted by the Holy Ghost.
Encourage class members to learn to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and to follow those promptings when they receive them.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:25 AM
Family Photos: The Baig Family
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:09 AM
What really happened at the Nevada GOP Convention?
The Ron Paul fans are very well organized here in Colorado, I am very curious to see if we have a similar situation as what just took place in Nevada over the weekend. I'm not a delagate, but I may have to go just to blog about it.
From the DailyPaul Blog:
(Here is your Scoop!) What really happened at the Nevada GOP Convention....
Out Classed and Out of Options...
Politics is a never-ending game, which has little to no rules, and the rules that do exist can change at anytime. You can choose to start, or stop playing this game at anytime, but no matter how you play this game it comes down who has the most people who care.
On Saturday April 26th , 2008, in Reno Nevada, the Republican State convention came to order with a set agenda and rigged rules to basically give complete control of the Delegate process to the party. The original rules would have only allowed for a set list of people that could be chosen as a whole to represent the state. This slate was created by a small group of people and were never published, and even as we began the convention were not known.
This was the first attempt to keep complete control of the delegate selection process. After three hours of explaining how this was not representative of the convention as a body, the convention modified the delegate selection process to allow anyone to run for a national delegate position. Three would be chosen from each of the three Congressional District and twenty-two from the entire body by each person voting for twenty-two people.
It was lunch at that point in time, giving two hours for the next play to be planned. Upon reconvening from lunch at 2:27pm, no time was wasted to unfurl this plan, which was instead of breaking up into districts to make sure at least three from each one was elected, the party would be kind enough to move around arbitrarily alternates to delegate positions to ensure “a fair distribution”, even better we shouldn't vote for twenty-two people at large because that would take far to much time, but instead vote for only five. Which took anybody with an eighth grade math understanding to know this was intended to divide our vote by four because in order to vote for twenty people you needed four people now instead of one. So this just was obliterated by the convention getting over a 75% rejection vote.
At this time we split into three districts and began to vote on delegates, this only took about an hour and went rather smoothly in district three and one. District two was continually delayed because of a dispute of whether a printed ballot was acceptable or a handwritten one was, somehow handwritten equals easier to handle to the those that ran the voting for district two. After this we came back and began to debate planks on the floor.
It was two hours in the making, the start of which was a person coming from the count room of the 2nd Congressional District of Nevada, which was the last of three districts to be counted. From our count observers in the rooms of Congressional District's 1 and 3, Paul Supporters had won all three delegates spots in District 3 and one Paul supporter in District 1. The counts of these districts took about 30 minutes after voting was completed. The 2nd District was taking very long to complete and no one could understand the delay of more then an hour, information from observers within its count room relayed that Paul Supporters had swept its three delegates as well. This meant that Paul Supporters took 7 out of 9 possible Congressional District delegates to the National Convention.
The person walking from the counting room took a straight line to State Chairwoman Sue Lowden, leaning over and whispering into her ear. After the person walked off Sue sat there for about 30 seconds tapping her foot and then stood up and walked over to Councilman Woodbury who was sitting in front of me, leaning over she said, "If we can break Quorum, can we invalidate this?" After saying this rather loudly and glancing at the expression on my face she quickly quieted down and I was unable to hear the rest of the conversation.
I sat in a dazed confusion for about five minutes trying to figure out what quorum was in this convention of 1347 delegates, which was 674 delegates. Soon after Chairwoman Lowden left, a John McCain staffer, Paul Johnson, came by. I had been gathering signs and information from him all day, and he believed I was a hardcore McCain supporter. He came up to me and got on one knee as if to propose his undying love. He began his conversation with, "They are trying to pull a coup, we are going to leave and quarter the convention." I responded, "Do we even have the numbers, all they need is a couple hundred to keep Quorum?" He answered back, "The powers that be have the numbers, I am just doing what I was told to do by my boss." At this moment I knew that they had lost control of the convention and were desperate. About an hour went by before they finally figured out they did not have enough people to pull off this little stunt.
I watched the party officers directly in front of me huddling up with the parliamentarian and trying to come up with something. Soon after this huddle, the party began to filibuster the convention filling it with videos and speakers over a course of 60 minutes. During this time Sue Lowden began barking at Chairman Bob Beers, and I could clearly see Chairman Beers not agreeing with what she was telling him. First it was just her talking to him, then after going on and off stage to present the next video or speaker, three people gathered around him, by the fourth time he stepped off the stage, eight people were surrounding and pressuring him, which I can only assume was to end the convention, being that was the next thing that happened when he returned to the stage.
When he returned to the stage for the last time, Chairman Beers ended the convention illegally calling an indefinite recess without a vote of the delegation to do so, at 6 pm. This was not before their first plan of ending the convention was attempted to be put into play by a member that was not informed calling for a Quorum which we would still have had. But Beers interrupted him saying, "I will save you some time", and called the indefinite recess. Later it was claimed to be the end of the contract of the room. But upon request from the Hotel they gladly gave us three more hours for free.
After five second of pure silence, disbelief, and confusion, a once consistently civil and controlled convention was thrown into ten minutes of anarchy, while the party vacated the room out the back doors. Bob Bears attempted to speak with an angry mob with little to no avail before leaving.
After this occurred we attempted to reconvene the meeting but fell 70 people short of a quorum.
This series of events leaves me with the understanding that the opinions and concerns of how Nevada Republicans want our government to work, do not matter. The only concern is that we fuel the inner party through our donations. Am I to understand that the people of Nevada are to have no representation and take marching orders from the Republican National Committee, that is two thousand miles away? To accept whatever they tell us, even if it is to support a man that never came to Nevada or would even agree to a conference call to discuss local positions on things such as Yucca Mountain. We know nothing about his positions that would affect the state in which we are to represent as delegates. When asked to come and talk before the January Caucasus, his Clark County staffer told us that he was not concerned with Nevada and would pick up delegates in May if he needed them. So we as a state are supposed to bow down and support a man who does not support our state?
We must complete a process of debate and discussion until we complete the National Delegate process. Being dictated to from people two thousand miles away is reminiscent of some of the central causes of the beginning of our great nation. So like a spoiled child the Nevada GOP officers, after being out played and without any other options they just kicked over the table and went home.
Richard Bunce
Las Vegas, NV
CNN Ticker: Nevada GOP state convention shut down early
RENO, Nevada (AP) — Outmaneuvered by raucous Ron Paul supporters, Nevada Republican Party leaders abruptly shut down their state convention and now must resume the event to complete a list of 31 delegates to the GOP national convention.
Outnumbered supporters of expected Republican presidential nominee John McCain faced off Saturday against well-organized Paul supporters. A large share of the more than 1,300 state convention delegates enabled Paul supporters to get a rule change positioning them for more national convention delegate slots than expected.
"I've seen factions walk out. I've never seen a party walk out," said Jeff Greenspan, regional coordinator for the Paul campaign.
Delegates cheered earlier in the day as former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney urged support for McCain. Later, though, Paul got even louder applause as he delivered his message of individual freedom and fiscal responsibility.
State Sen. Bob Beers, the convention chairman, was booed loudly as he called for a recess Saturday evening. He said that the party's rental contract for a big meeting room at a Reno hotel-casino had expired and there was too much work left to complete.
State GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden said the rules change wasn't anticipated. She denied any anti-Paul bias, saying expected slates of national delegates were prepared through a fair and open process by the convention's nominations committee and the party thought the convention would accept them.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:57 AM
Give em Back #2
Here is a link to my "Give em back" #1 Post
And the stimulating and interesting chat that resulted from this blog post over at Free Republic.
Sweep of polygamists' kids raises legal questions
"The move has the appearance of "a class-action child removal," said Jessica Dixon, director of the child advocacy center at Southern Methodist University's law school in Dallas.
"I've never heard of anything like that," she said.
Rod Parker, a spokesman for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, contends that the state has essentially said, "If you're a member of this religious group, then you're not allowed to have children."
Attorneys for the families and civil-liberties groups also are crying foul. They say the state should not have taken children away from all church members living at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado.
Church members said that not all of them practice polygamy, and some form traditional nuclear families. One sect member whose teenage son is now in foster care testified that she is a divorced single mother.
"Of course, we condemn child abuse and we don't stand up for the perpetration of that," said Lisa Graybill, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. But "what the state has done has offended a pretty wide swath of the American people with what appears to be an overreaching action to sweep up all these children."
Cultural Guide for Poligamists kids
Go here to read the excellent and timely coverage of this story at the Salt Lake Tribunes poligamy blog by Brooke Adams.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:38 AM
Front Page Mag: Obamas Foreign Non-Policy
During the week before the Pennsylvania primary, I met with Sen. Barack Obama's Middle East advisers in Washington, Howard Guttman and former Californian Congressman Mel Levine, along with another Obama Middle East aide who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The following are the questions posed to Mr. Obama's Middle East advisers and the responses they provided:
Bedein: How would a President Obama relate to the security threat posed by Saudi Arabia? Declassified security reports confirm that Saudi Arabia continues to fund groups defined by the U.S. government as terrorist organizations, while Saudi Arabia maintains an active state of war against the state of Israel since 1948.
Answer: None of Mr. Obama's advisers could answer this question.
Bedein: Does Mr. Obama support President Bush's policy of arming the Saudis? (The Bush administration offers major arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite its pro-terror posture.)
Answer: Neither Guttman nor Levine could tell me whether or not Mr. Obama supports the Bush arms sales to Saudi Arabia. They checked with Mr. Obama and could not get an answer.
Bedein: Would a President Obama support the idea that Palestinian refugees should reside in UNRWA refugee camps, under the premise and promise of the "right of return," instead of being provided with decent living conditions?
Answer: While each of Mr. Obama's advisers emphasized that the candidate opposed the Palestinian "right of return," none of them could find out what Mr. Obama's position is concerning continuing American government funding for the UNRWA agency, which fuels the right of return.
Bedein: Would a President Obama continue Mr. Bush's policy to arm the Fatah organization, since the armed forces of the Fatah are defined by American law as an illegal terrorist organization?
Answer: The Obama advisor who spoke on condition of anonymity answered that Mr. Obama wants to continue the policy of developing Fatah as a moderate entity.
Bedein: Would a President Obama ask for a change in the proposed constitution of the Palestinian Fatah state, which is based on the Islamic Sharia law, and not allow for juridical status for any religion other than Islam?
Answer: All three Obama advisers promised to check this out with the senator. None of them could provide an answer.
Bedein: Would a President Obama restrain Israel from counterattacking in Gaza to put an end to the daily missile attacks from Gaza, as the Bush administration has done?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers responded that "Israel has a right to defend itself."
Bedein: Would a President Obama recognize that Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza are a direct result of their use of human shields?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers answered that "Sen. Obama regards the operations of terrorist organizations as intolerable."
Bedein: Would a President Obama allow such a policy to continue where the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to harbor terrorists suspected of murder and refuses to hand them over for trial, as the Clinton and Bush administrations have done?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers were more emphatic on this point, stating that Mr. Obama's policy would "oppose all attempts to harbor terrorists by the Palestinian Authority."
Bedein: Would a President Obama condition future U.S. assistance on human rights and civil liberties reform in the PA, since the PA operates with no system of civil liberties or human rights?
Answer: In another emphatic statement, each of Mr. Obama's advisers stated that a President Obama would insist on the implementation of a policy that would stand up for human rights and civil liberties in the Palestinian Authority.
Bedein: Would a President Obama ignore the plight of Christians who are persecuted in the PA, or would he champion the cause of the Christians to practice their religion freely in the PA, since the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem has refused to render assistance to Christians who are persecuted by the PA?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers promised an answer to this question but did provide one.
Bedein: What would the policy of a President Obama be to Syria in regard to Syria's continuing to host and support a plethora of terror groups?
Answer: All three of Obama's advisers indicated that they would review new directives to the Syrian government in this regard.
Bedein: Would a President Obama support an effort to destroy the Syrian source of lethal narcotics in the Bekka Valley, since Syria continues to orchestrate the export of lethal narcotics to the world?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers could not answer this question.
Bedein: Would a President Obama support an effort to force Israel to withdraw from Golan, since the Golan Heights was used by Syria between 1949 and 1967 to attack Israeli communities in Galilee?
Answer: All three of Mr. Obama's advisers answered that "Obama does not believe in pressuring Israel" on any matter related to Syria.
Bedein: Which Middle East road map would a President Obama endorse: the road map of April 30, 2003, or that of May 25, 2003? [The second road map contains the reservations of Israel, which include detailed Israeli directives to disband terror groups as a precondition to continued negotiations.]
Answer: Mr. Obama's three advisers referred this policy question to a top adviser to Mr. Obama. However, they would not provide an answer.
Bedein: Would a President Obama continue the Clinton/Bush policy of ignoring the fact that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) never ratified the Oslo Accord and never canceled the PLO charter? [The Clinton and Bush administrations overlooked the fact that the PLO never ratified the Oslo Accord’s "declaration of principles," which required the PLO and Fatah to recognize Israel, denounce terror and cancel the PLO/Fatah charter, which calls for Israel's obliteration. It will be recalled that the PLO signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn on Sept. 13, 1993, and would not ratify these accords when the PLO executive convened on Oct. 6, 1993, in Tunis and would not cancel the PLO charter when the PNC convened on April 24, 1996.]
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers concurred that a President Obama would insist on a formal PLO ratification of the Oslo Accords and cancellation of the PLO covenant.
Bedein: Would a President Obama issue a directive that any aid to the PA requires a cessation of calls to terrorism by the official Arabic language outlets of the PA? [The Clinton and Bush administration consistently ignored the message communicated by the newly constituted PA in the Arabic language, which has communicated a language of war on Israel since the inception of the PA in 1993.]
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers said that Mr. Obama would institute "a policy of no tolerance of incitement."
Bedein: Would a President Obama call for a cancellation of the PA educational curriculum, which inculcates the next generation to continue a war to liberate all of Palestine, which can be seen at edume.org?
Answer: Mr. Obama's advisers indicated that Mr. Obama would see this as part of a "policy of no tolerance for incitement."
Bedein: Would a President Obama insist on future Israeli withdrawals, since the Gaza withdrawal indicates that Palestinians will use areas under their control to launch missile attacks against Israel?
Answer: The Obama adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity answered that the "Gaza and Lebanon precedent should be taken into consideration," considering the fact that Israel is ready for compromise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Bedein is Middle East Correspondent for the Philadelphia Bulletin (www.TheBulletin.us)
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:33 AM
Reuters: Women in Labor turned away from hospitals in the UK
Just another reason to have an unassited home birth.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:25 AM
Science Daily: Music has its own geometry
The connection between music and mathematics has fascinated scholars for centuries. More than 2000 years ago Pythagoras reportedly discovered that pleasing musical intervals could be described using simple ratios.
"Different types of categorization produce different geometrical spaces, and reflect the different ways in which musicians over the centuries have understood music. This achievement, they expect, will allow researchers to analyze and understand music in much deeper and more satisfying ways.
The work represents a significant departure from other attempts to quantify music, according to Rachel Wells Hall of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. In an accompanying essay, she writes that their effort, "stands out both for the breadth of its musical implications and the depth of its mathematical content."
The method, according to its authors, allows them to analyze and compare many kinds of Western (and perhaps some non-Western) music. (The method focuses on Western-style music because concepts like "chord" are not universal in all styles.) It also incorporates many past schemes by music theorists to render music into mathematical form."
Really Cool research!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:21 AM
WSJ: German Tots Learn to Answer Call of Nature
German Tots Learn to Answer Call of Nature
"IDSTEIN, Germany -- Each weekday, come rain or shine, a group of children, ages 3 to 6, walk into a forest outside Frankfurt to sing songs, build fires and roll in the mud. To relax, they kick back in a giant "sofa" made of tree stumps and twigs.
The birthplace of kindergarten is returning to its roots. While schools and parents elsewhere push young children to read, write and surf the Internet earlier in order to prepare for an increasingly cutthroat global economy, some little Germans are taking a less traveled path -- deep into the woods."
Recently I registered Ben for kindergarten and was amazed as I listened to the other mothers in line. Many of them were planning on forking out the $350.00 a month to pay for enrichment kindergarten, which means the child will be in school all day long. A few parents I talked to were planning to do half days, but these other moms were so focused on a "whole day of learning" and how some of the teachers claimed it was better for the child academically. I just sat there marveling. After watching my four older children develop, I am convinced my job as a mother is to protect my childs right to PLAY until he or she is eight years old. This creative non organized/non scheduled time is crucial for them to develop imagination and a sense of self.
Ben will be one of our only children to attend school from kindergarten to high school and I am very curious to see how it all goes. If I feel that he is being harmed by the intensity of the academics, we'll pull him out and homeschool. He will be almost six when he starts in the fall, and with only half days, it will be like glorified preschool. He is very excited to attend school like his big brothers and sisters do. But I have qualms about him having too much academic pressure. I loved reading about these german schools that are so relaxed and fun.
This quote from the article claims that a debate is taking place.
"Mimi Howard, a director at the Education Commission of the States, which advises states on policy from Denver, says some U.S. teachers feel pressure "to push academics earlier and earlier." The federal No Child Left Behind law introduced standardized testing for reading and writing by third grade, but some studies recommend more "open-ended learning experiences" for young children. "We're in the debate phase," she says."
These educrats would not have to work so hard teaching children the basics if they would just dump whole language reading curriculums and use phonics to teach all of the children. I feel a very gentle and unstructured introduction to reading is best for the child, with an ideal being fifteen minutes a day of reading and writing practice with Mom starting when the child can hold a pencil. Maria Montessori belived it was best to teach a child to write and then the reading would come naturally. She believed five year olds were "wired" to want to learn how to write and read and handle the frustrations inherent in the process. I have really observed this with Ben as he has happily started writing notes to his Dad and wants to show everyone how well he can write his name etc...
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:05 AM
NRO: Don't doubt it
David Klinghoffer connects the dots between Darwin and the evil of Hitler.
"Get ready for the great Darwin-Hitler debate. There’s already been a volley of advance attacks on a new film’s suggestion of a link between Darwinism and Nazi ideology. The movie is Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, opening this weekend, a cheeky documentary that is not primarily about evolutionism in prewar Germany. Reviewers in Time, Scientific American, Variety, Fox News, and elsewhere have denounced the filmmakers for suggesting that Hitlerism without the contribution of Darwinism would be hard to imagine.
This movie is, in fact, about the professional ostracism visited today on American scientists who doubt that undirected natural selection can fully explain life’s development. They are academics at places like the Smithsonian Institution, Iowa State University, and Baylor University. Droll comic-actor Ben Stein stars, interviewing the researchers.
But for about ten minutes, Expelled touches on Darwinism’s historical social costs, notably the unintended contribution to Nazi racial theories. That part packs an emotional wallop. It also happens to be based on impeccable scholarship.
The Darwin-Hitler connection is no recent discovery. In her classic 1951 work The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt wrote: “Underlying the Nazis’ belief in race laws as the expression of the law of nature in man, is Darwin’s idea of man as the product of a natural development which does not necessarily stop with the present species of human being.”
The standard biographies of Hitler almost all point to the influence of Darwinism on their subject. In Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, Alan Bullock writes: “The basis of Hitler’s political beliefs was a crude Darwinism.” What Hitler found objectionable about Christianity was its rejection of Darwin’s theory: “Its teaching, he declared, was a rebellion against the natural law of selection by struggle and the survival of the fittest.”
John Toland’s Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography says this of Hitler’s Second Book published in 1928: “An essential of Hitler’s conclusions in this book was the conviction drawn from Darwin that might makes right.”
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 4:42 AM
April 22, 2008
Bens First Soccer Game
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 9:34 PM
Hillary wins Pennsylvania
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 9:31 PM
April 19, 2008
Sunday School Lesson 13: Baptism: Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Christ
Here is the text of my sunday school lesson for next week. We have stake Conference tomorow, but I am getting ready to teach this all important lesson on Baptism. Enjoy!
Baptism: Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Christ
Note to the teacher
Baptism is one of the first steps we take to come to Christ. Understanding the symbolism of baptism helps us understand the eternal nature of the covenants and blessings that come because of baptism. Through continued obedience, we can overcome spiritual death and return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. Since this is made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we take Jesus’ name upon us when we are baptized and promise to remember him in all that we do.
As you teach this lesson, be sensitive to the feelings of class members who have not yet been baptized.
Suggested Lesson Development
The Purposes of Baptism
Discussion
Show the picture of a boy being baptized.
• What do you remember about your baptism?
Allow class members to talk about their baptisms. You may want to share some memories of your own baptism.
Scripture discussion
• Why were you baptized?
Be sure the following purposes of baptism are discussed (you may want to have class members read and mark the accompanying scriptures):
1. To receive remission, or forgiveness, of sins (see D&C 49:13).
2. To show willingness to keep Heavenly Father’s commandments (see 2 Nephi 31:14).
3. To become members of the Church (see D&C 20:71).
4. To begin on the path to eternal life (see 2 Nephi 31:17–20).
5. To be able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (see D&C 49:14).
• Why did Jesus, who did not sin, need to be baptized?
Have class members read 2 Nephi 31:6–9, marking words and phrases that answer this question. Help class members see that like us, Jesus needed to be baptized to show obedience to Heavenly Father. Jesus also was baptized to set an example for us.
Baptism Brings a Spiritual Rebirth
Scripture discussion
Explain that the Apostle Paul talked about baptism as a symbol. A symbol is an object or action that represents something else. Have class members read and mark Romans 6:3.
Show the picture of the burial of Jesus.
• What do you think it means to be “baptized into [Christ’s] death”? (See Romans 6:3.)
Explain that the word baptism means “to immerse” (see Bible Dictionary, “Baptism,” 618). The act of immersion—being momentarily buried under water—represents the death and burial of a person’s sinfulness. The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to repent of our sins and be forgiven.
Have class members read and mark Romans 6:4–5.
Show the picture of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
• How is baptism “in the likeness of [Christ’s] resurrection”?
Explain that the act of coming out from under the water represents a birth into a new life, just as the resurrected Jesus Christ rose from the tomb.
Explain that in a conversation with a man named Nicodemus, Jesus talked about this aspect of baptism. Have class members read and mark John 3:3–5.
• How does a person become born of water? (By being baptized.)
• How does a person become born of the Spirit? (By receiving the Holy Ghost after baptism. Tell class members that you will discuss the gift of the Holy Ghost in next week’s lesson.)
Story
Read the following testimony related by a convert as he bore his testimony in a Church meeting:
“I came from a broken home. We had no religion, and I was not taught any particular moral values. My life was meaningless, empty, and full of conflict. I committed many sins. Then the gospel came into my life. I accepted the Savior wholeheartedly. I began to believe in Him and to turn away from my former ways. I was baptized, and I received the marvelous gift of the Holy Ghost. Brothers and Sisters, for years and years I felt as if I were ‘dead’ inside, and now for the first time in life, I feel ‘alive’ ” (in My Errand from the Lord [Melchizedek Priesthood study guide, 1976], 161).
We Made Covenants at Baptism
Scripture discussion
Explain that section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants contains a revelation given to Joseph Smith on the day that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. Joseph Smith was given instructions for the people who wanted to be baptized as members of the Church. Have class members read and mark Doctrine and Covenants 20:37. Explain that this verse contains the baptismal covenant. A covenant is an agreement between us and the Lord in which we promise to obey his commandments and he promises to bless us according to our obedience.
• What do people have to covenant to do in order to be baptized? (List the following requirements on the chalkboard as they are mentioned.)
1. Humble themselves before God.
2. Repent of their sins.
3. Be willing to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ.
4. Be willing to serve the Lord.
5. Show by their works that they have received the Spirit of Christ.
Scripture discussion
• What does it mean to take upon ourselves the name of Christ?
Point out that we take upon ourselves Jesus’ name when we follow his example. Explain that to learn about how we can do this, you are going to discuss some teachings of Alma, a prophet in the Book of Mormon.
Display the picture of Alma baptizing in the waters of Mormon. Explain that Alma was converted through the teachings of Abinadi and then taught the gospel to others. To help the people prepare to be baptized, he reviewed things they would be expected to do as members of the Church.
Have class members read and mark Mosiah 18:8–10. Write on the chalkboard “Come into the fold of God, and … be called his people.”
• What things must we be willing to do to be able to “come into the fold of God, and … be called his people”?
Write the following on the chalkboard as the items are mentioned:
1. “Bear one another’s burdens.”
2. “Mourn with those that mourn.”
3. “Comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”
4. “Stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.”
• In what ways can we bear one another’s burdens? How have you seen people do this? How have other people helped bear your burdens?
• Why is it sometimes helpful to “mourn with those that mourn”? What are some things we can do to comfort those who need comfort? How have other people helped you during difficult times?
• What does it mean to stand as a witness of God?
Activity
Ask a class member to choose one of the strips of paper you have prepared and read the number written on it. Then read the corresponding situation below and ask class members to describe how they could stand as witnesses of God in that situation. Repeat the activity until every situation has been discussed.
Situation 1
You are playing basketball with a group of friends. One of your friends misses an easy shot and in frustration takes the Lord’s name in vain.
Situation 2
A friend who is not a member of the Church comes to your home and notices a copy of the Book of Mormon on a table.
Situation 3
You are at an activity for the young men and young women in your ward. A new bishop has just been called, and several people your age are talking about him. “I can’t believe they called him,” one of them says.
Situation 4
You are at home by yourself. You know that your parents will not be home for a few hours. There is a movie on television that you have wanted to see. You know that it has a few offensive scenes and some profanity, but many of your friends have told you that it is an exciting movie.
Situation 5
You have been planning for months to go to the temple with the young men and young women in your ward to perform baptisms for the dead. A friend who is not a member of the Church invites you to a party that same evening. You say that you can’t go to the party, and your friend asks what you will be doing that evening.
Scripture discussion
• How do the four promises in Mosiah 18:8–10 relate to our promise to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ?
• Why do you think we have been talking about baptism even though most (or all) of us have already been baptized?
Have a class member read Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, which contains the prayer on the sacramental bread. Point out the similarities between this prayer and the baptismal covenant in Doctrine and Covenants 20:37. Explain that the baptismal covenant is so important that we renew it each week when we take the sacrament. Baptism is more than just being immersed in the water. The covenants we make and the blessings we can receive are eternal.
Testimony
Bear testimony of the joy we experience when we keep our baptismal covenants. Encourage class members to remember their baptismal covenants and be true to them.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:28 PM
Washington Times: Nuclear attack on D.C. a hypothetical disaster
Go Here to read this sobering article and Go HERE to read my Thoughts on preparing for Nuclear War.
Nothing to fear in this world we live in, but fear itself. We can prepare for any bio or nuclear attack. And if we are prepared WE WILL NOT FEAR!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:25 PM
Wall Street Journal: Michael Yon - Let's Surge Some More
Another great Yon Piece in the Journal....
QUOTE:
A young Iraqi translator, wounded in battle and fearing death, asked an American commander to bury his heart in America.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:22 PM
Three UC Birth Stories from Susanas Site
Three more great birth videos...
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:20 PM
Alan Keyes is running for President with the Constitution Party!
I've been a fan of Alan Keyes since the early nineties. I'm glad he is running. We need his voice!
Alan Keyes announces he is running for President as a member of the Constitution Party at Genetti's Best Western in Hazelton, PA April, 15 2008. S.John Wilkin/The Times Leader
Now, if you don't like Alan Keyes, Ron Paul has a Freedom Agenda, please take the time to read each candidates platform and then make an educated choice in the fall primary!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:17 PM
The Long War Journal: When Sons of Iraq grow up
During General David Petraeus' testimony to Congress on the progress of the war in Iraq, he referred to the great security gains of the last year, which largely hold even in the face of clashes between Shia militias and government forces in Sadr City, Basrah, and much of the South. General Petraeus credited a substantial portion of those security gains in many areas of Iraq in the last year to the duel phenomena of Sahawa (Awakening) councils and the formation of local security teams from out-of-work men fed up with violence.
The Anbar Awakening started in Ramadi as armed opposition to al Qaeda in Iraq. The movement grew and morphed into a political and military movement that expanded throughout Anbar and swept west, north, and south throughout the largely Sunni areas of Iraq. As the Awakening Councils formed, they raised paramilitary security forces with assistance and instruction from the Coalition forces in their respective towns.
In some areas these local security fighters were directly raised and employed by a town’s Awakening Council; in others, local security groups developed on their own without a connection to the Awakening movement. As the trend spread, Coalition commanders began to adopt the local security model to provide jobs and protection for the Iraqi people in their areas.
At the beginning, the names of different security groups were as mixed as the outside opinions of them. The first local security fighters appeared in Ramadi and Fallujah, where cynical soldiers called them the “Good Bad Guys.” As the trend grew, Americans in other areas dubbed groups “Concerned Local Citizens” or “Neighborhood Watch”; Iraqis in Baghdad called themselves “Knights of the Two Rivers.”
Local forces were variously lauded as patriots and vilified as opportunistic militiamen. American civilian leaders and the press worried that the military was “arming both sides in a civil war.” Many military leaders appreciated the extra temporary security, but worried what would happen when the local forces were inevitably asked to stand down in favor of Iraqi government forces.
Almost a year has passed since the rise of the local security forces, which now number more than 91,000. The Government of Iraq refers to all armed groups contracted by the Coalition as “Sons of Iraq” regardless of origin, and has stated the intention of integrating about 20 percent into the security forces and disbanding the rest when they are no longer needed for security."
Praying for Iraq....
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:14 PM
ABC News: A Mother's Nightmare: Babies Switched at Birth
Another Reason to have Home Birth
A Mother's Nightmare: Babies Switched at Birth
Within a Few Hours the Hospital Said It Realized Its Mistake
By CHRIS STRATHMANN, RICH McHUGH and IMAEYEN IBANGA
April 14, 2008 —
New mother Kassie Hopkins had an eerie feeling when she was handed her newborn son after his March 28 birth at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill.
Elsewhere in the hospital Mary Jo Bathon, who also had given birth to a son March 28, had a similar feeling. Still she went home the same day with her infant, caring for him and breast-feeding him even stopping for baby supplies on her drive home.
But within hours, Bathon's odd feelings were justified when she received a telephone call from the hospital saying it had sent her home with the wrong baby. She didn't have her son, Hunter Allen Bathon. She had 17-year-old Hopkins' newborn son, Riley Howard Spencer.
The switch apparently happened when the boys were taken at the same time to get circumcisions. Riley and Hunter wore identification, but somehow the IDs were removed and inadvertently put on the wrong baby, according to the women's attorney John Womick.
"We genuinely regret the circumstances surrounding the discharge of these infants. Fortunately, the situation was quickly identified and corrected within hours," said hospital spokeswoman Staci Bynum.
But the hospital's apology wasn't enough for the mothers. Hopkins and Bathon have sued Heartland Regional Medical Center and its parent company, Community Health Systems Inc., of Franklin, Tenn.
The women have asked for monetary damages of more than $50,000 a piece and a jury trial in a Williamson County court.
"I think it's outrageous," Womick said. "If they aren't careful with babies, then what are they careful with?"
Womick said he wants the court to require the hospital to investigate what led to the switch to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"I think they need to look at the system, admit what happened and correct it," Womick said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 1:12 PM
April 16, 2008
Give em back - Texas Raid based on a LIE????
UPDATE: Friday April 18
The "Sixteen year old girl." A hoax???
I am SPITTING mad. Texas authorities better have those children back in their mothers arms by tonight.
"A 33-year-old Colorado Springs woman has been questioned about a telephone call that sparked a raid at the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound in western Texas two weeks ago.
Rozita Swinton was arrested at her home Wednesday night by Colorado Springs police for an incident that occurred in February. Members of the Texas Rangers were also in Colorado Springs as part of their investigation.
"The Texas Rangers were in Colorado Springs (Wednesday) as part of their investigation involving the compound in Texas. They left and have not filed any charges on Rozita Swinton as of this time," said Colorado Springs police spokesman Lt. Skip Arms.
Colorado Springs police said the arrest warrant has been sealed and refused to release any other details, reported Deseret News."
Original Post:
OK Texas, Give those children back to the parents!
That whole "they were having sex with underage girls in the temple thing" has been used against poligamists for over a hundred years.
Religious persecution, pure and simple.
If society wants to take an underage pregnant girl from her family, why not start with Jamie Lynn Spears. Prosecute her boyfriend for statutory rape and absolve her mother of all parental rights.
Not these families.
PS - If anyone in the Fundamentalist LDS church is breaking the law then, sure throw the book at them, but if the only crime these people have committed is "being different" and raising their children out of the mainstream of society....LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!
Whose next? The Amish? The Mennonites? The Muslims? Anyone who wants to homeschool? This is America for crying out loud. We were created on the principle of Religious Freedom. You Nanny State Bullies get out of the homes, bedrooms, and religious sanctuaries of "We the People".
The most visible family I see "grooming" children in obscene sexual behavior, immodesty, and living a lifestyle that is DAMAGING to babies and children is in fact the lifestyle of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears. Go harass them if you want to do some good for the country.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:49 AM
April 13, 2008
Sunday School Lesson 12 Repentance is a Blessing
Here is the link to the sunday school lesson I taught this afternoon. I felt the spirit so strong as we discussed this sacred topic. The teens in my class were listening well and I was so happy to have the time to go carefully through all of the material. We had a short sacrament meeting with only two speakers and I had almost a whole hour to cover this crucial subject.
Here is the text of the lesson.
Note to the teacher
Heavenly Father has lovingly included repentance in the gospel plan and promised to receive all who forsake their sins and come to him with a broken heart and contrite spirit. Be sure to leave class members with hope and encouragement following this lesson. Repentance is necessary for everyone. It is a great blessing that allows us to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins so we can achieve exaltation.
Suggested Lesson Development
Repentance Allows Us to Become Clean Again
Story
Tell or have a class member tell the following story:
Once a young girl was asked what she was thankful for. She replied, “Erasers.” When asked to explain, she said, “I make lots of mistakes doing math problems. Without an eraser I can’t undo my mistakes and write the correct answers on my paper.”
Chalkboard discussion
On the chalkboard write in large letters SINS.
• Have you ever done something wrong and wished you had a giant eraser to undo your action? (This is a general question. Do not ask class members to name the actions they are thinking of.)
Using the eraser labeled Repentance, erase the word SINS from the chalkboard. Make sure class members can see the label as you erase.
Explain that repentance is the process Heavenly Father has given us for “erasing” our sins. Heavenly Father wants us to return to live with him after this life, but no unclean, or sinful, person can live with him (see Moses 6:57). Heavenly Father knows that everyone will make mistakes and commit sins while on the earth, so he has given us a way to become clean again after we have sinned. This is repentance.
Picture presentation
Display the picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemane. Explain that because Jesus Christ paid for all our sins with his suffering, when we repent we can be forgiven and can become clean again (see D&C 19:16).
We All Must Repent
Story and discussion
Read or tell the following story:
At the age of fifty-seven, Charlie was living in Leavenworth, Kansas—in prison. He had been in many of the United States’ high security institutions for most of his life. He had grown up with crime. His father and mother were alcoholics and convicts. When he was thirteen, the flu epidemic killed all the members of his family. After the funerals, Charlie hopped on a freight train and began a nomadic life across the United States. His life included crime, beginning with car theft, then burglary, and finally armed robbery. By the age of fifty-seven Charlie had spent thirty-five years in prison.
• Do you think there is any hope for a person like this?
Continue the story:
Charlie finally realized he was living a dead-end existence. He later described how he felt at that time:
“I slowly came to realize I did not like myself. How could I change? If I kept up my criminal acts, I would die in a prison cell and be buried in some unmarked plot on prison property.”
• What did Charlie need to do to change his life?
Charlie began studying religion. He eventually read the Book of Mormon and realized that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the true Church. He wrote to Church headquarters and asked for more information about the Church. He was unable to be baptized because he was in prison, but he studied the books and other materials he received from the Missionary Department.
As Charlie gained a testimony of Jesus Christ and the gospel plan, he made a complete change in his behavior. He would learn a principle of the gospel, then live it, and become strengthened; then he would learn another principle, live it, and become strengthened; then learn another principle, live it, and become strengthened further. As Charlie learned about the things that Heavenly Father and Jesus wanted him to do, he started doing those things and stopped doing wrong things.
Charlie eventually had a chance for parole (to be let out of prison under strict supervision). He decided that he would start a new life. He met with the stake president in the area, who was so impressed with Charlie that he went to the parole officer and guaranteed that he would get Charlie a job and a place to live if Charlie were released on parole.
Charlie was released from prison, and the stake president found a job and an apartment for him. The missionaries taught Charlie the gospel discussions. When his parole was finished, Charlie was baptized. Two and a half years later he came to Church headquarters to meet the person who had answered his first letter and to attend general conference. Charlie, who was now the high priests group leader in his ward, testified of the truthfulness of the gospel. He was a completely new man.
Discussion
• In what way was Charlie a new man?
Point out that as Charlie learned the gospel, he repented of the things he had done wrong. Repentance enabled him to change from being a criminal to being a member of the Church with a responsible calling and a strong testimony of the gospel.
• Why is repentance important?
Explain that sins can slow or stop our spiritual development and move us away from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Repentance allows us to turn back to Heavenly Father and Jesus and begin to grow spiritually again. Although we may not commit big sins like Charlie’s, all of us commit sins, so we all need to repent.
Repentance Requires Effort
Quotation
Have a class member read Charlie’s comments about repentance:
“Because of … agency, I had to make the first move in changing my lifestyle. Repentance is definitely a change of mind. Repentance begins by a desire to scrap all your past by reading, studying, and pondering God’s word. Repentance is reaching out from the midst of my pains and negativeness and turning them to joy and positiveness.”
Chalkboard discussion
Explain that there is a process that helps us turn the pain and guilt of sin into joy through repentance. Charlie mentioned the first step in this process when he said, “Repentance begins by a desire to scrap all your past.”
Write on the chalkboard:
1. Recognize your sin and desire to change.
• Why is recognition that you have sinned the first step in repentance? Why is it important to feel sorrow for what you have done wrong and desire to do better?
To find the next two steps, have class members read and mark Doctrine and Covenants 58:43.
Write on the chalkboard:
2. Confess your sin.
3. Forsake your sin.
• Why is it necessary to confess your sin? To whom should you confess?
Explain that all sins must be confessed to the Lord. If we have sinned against another person (for example, if you lied to your mother), we should also confess to that person. Serious sins must also be confessed to the bishop or branch president. Confession shows that we are sincere about wanting to repent.
• What does it mean to forsake your sin?
Explain that to forsake means to give up. If we forsake a sin, we resolve never to do that wrong thing again.
• Why is forsaking your sin an important part of repentance?
Write on the chalkboard:
4. Make restitution.
Explain that to make restitution means to make right, as much as is possible, what we have done wrong. Give class members examples of a few specific actions for which restitution can be made and ask them to tell how those wrongs could be made right. For example, if we have stolen something, we return it or pay for it. If we have lied, we tell the truth. If we have damaged something, we repair or replace it.
You may want to point out that sometimes a wrong action cannot be made right, no matter what we do. For example, if we have said untrue things about a person we can apologize and tell the truth, but we may not be able to undo the damage done to the person’s reputation. If we have stolen or damaged something, we may be able to replace the object but not exactly as it was. In this kind of situation, Jesus Christ, through his Atonement and mercy, will take responsibility for setting things right. But this happens only after we have done all we can.
Write on the chalkboard:
5. Keep the commandments.
Explain that the last step in repentance is striving to keep all the commandments of God (see D&C 1:32). Repentance is a process that we will have to use throughout our lives, but as we become more perfect in keeping the commandments, we will do less for which we need to repent.
Read Charlie’s testimony to the class:
“I know the extent [of the] damage done by my years of rebellion. But I also know that repentance and endurance based on faith is the way to my personal salvation. When I am called from this mortal life, I hope and pray, that since [I found the gospel], in the words of Paul [in] 2 Timothy 4:7, I can say, ‘I have fought a good fight,’ I did the best I could with my Church callings, and I kept my faith and love for the Lord and Heavenly Father.”
Point out that once Charlie had repented of his sins, he endured to the end—he spent the rest of his life trying to live the way Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ wanted him to live.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Will Forgive Us When We Repent
Scripture discussion
Explain that repentance can be a long and difficult process. But the effort required to repent is more than repaid by the blessings we receive when we do repent.
• What blessings come to us when we repent?
Have class members find and mark Mosiah 26:30 and Doctrine and Covenants 58:42. Have two class members each read one of these verses aloud.
• What does the Lord promise to do when we repent of our sins?
• What does it mean that the Lord “will remember [our sins] no more”? (He will not consider them when we are judged. When we have sincerely and completely repented, to the Lord it is as if we had never sinned.)
Have class members find and mark Alma 36:19–21. Have a class member read the verses aloud.
• According to these verses, how will we feel when we have repented and have been forgiven?
Explain that sin brings us guilt and pain, but repentance brings us joy. Tell class members that it is better not to sin and thus avoid the pain of sin and the effort of repentance, but when we do sin, we can repent and again feel the joy of being clean.
Quotation
Have a person read the following statement by Elder Spencer W. Kimball when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“What relief! What comfort! What joy! Those laden with transgressions and sorrows and sin may be forgiven and cleansed and purified if they will return to their Lord, learn of him, and keep his commandments” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 368).
Testimony
Testify of the joy and gratitude you feel for the principle of repentance, which enables us to be forgiven of our sins. Express your gratitude for Christ’s Atonement, which makes repentance possible.
Encourage class members to sincerely repent of their sins and strive to live righteously. Remind them of the joy and relief that can come through repentance.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:39 PM
Huff Po: Pamela Paul
"Little did I realize, but apparently, I am on the verge of destroying Mother Earth. Yup, Seventh Generation-using, SUV-less (car-less, doggone it!), recycling-law-abiding me. I even turn off the water while I brush my teeth, and bought local produce long before locavorism became trendy.
So what's my crime? My husband and I are contemplating having a third child, as I recently documented in the Washington Post. The essay itself, a semi-facetious, semi-serious look at the rising costs of parenthood was a riff off my book, Parenting, Inc., which documents the exploding parenting market. My goal was to offer parents a kind of annotated guide through the mind-boggling shopping experience that accompanies having a kid, and to help cut down on the commercialization of childhood. Having talked to parents around the country, I found that I'm not alone in thinking that raising kids costs a fortune. But given the wasteful and unnecessary gear that I'm planning on not buying, I thought having a third kid might be financially conceivable."
Pamela,
Have all the children you want to welcome into your life! When you are old and grey and the population nut jobs are dead and gone, you will have years of enjoying your grandchildren...the more the merrier! No guilt Momma! Just do what is best for your family.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:34 PM
Herbal Diuretics: The New Threat to Healthy Pregnancies
Herbal Diuretics: The New Threat to Healthy Pregnancies
Eat Authentic Food! It is the key to making a healthy baby!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 8:15 PM
April 10, 2008
Inventor Timber Dick Dies
UPDATE Friday April 11th, 2008
My friend Pam called this morning to let me know that Timber died yesterday.
Here is the Denver Post story online.
Our thoughts and Prayers are with his wife and family on this beautiful spring day.
Yesterday I learned of the near fatal car crash of a HomeSchoolling Friend from Denver. Timber was the force behind our Science Fairs with the Liahona Home Educators of Denver LDS Homeschool Support Group. His wife Annette is a dear friend of mine, and I was shocked to learn of his accident.
Here is a link to the Denver Post Version of the story. Please keep this wonderful family in your thoughts and prayers.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:36 AM
NYT: Public Health Risk as Parents Reject Vaccines
This article should have been titled:
Pediatric Pratices at Risk for complete financial implosion if parents refuse to vaccinate kids!!!!
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:33 AM
Spirit Led Birth: Birth Nudity
Susana has some "Politically Incorrect" views on Birthing Nudity.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:31 AM
LDS Provident Living: Family Home Storage Starter Kit
All is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage pamphlet
All is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances pamphlet
All is Safely Gathered In: Basic Recipes pamphlet
Financial reserve and drinking water teaching aids
Two #10 cans of hard red winter wheat
Two #10 cans of white rice
One #10 can of pinto beans
One #10 can of rolled oats
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:30 AM
Former Drug Sale Rep Tells All
Mercola - Go Here to read this report.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 6:28 AM
My favorite editorials of the past week
First, a couple of education editorials:
WND: Sam Blumenfeld: Illiterate for life
Authors battling education elites dumbing-down Brits
QUOTE:
"In fact, a new book, "The Great Reading Disaster," has just recently been published in England exposing the fact that young Brits are taught to read with the dyslexia-producing Whole Language method, which has also become the present ruin of American education.
The authors, Mona McNee and Alice Coleman, write: "Forcing children to read whole words by the look-say method is like telling young piano learners to play a piece in the correct tempo, without being taught the individual notes or the significance of their stave positions. … It is cruel to inflict such frustration on children, and the cruelty is not restricted to childhood. It is even more cruel and humiliating when it leaves people illiterate for life."
Even Margaret Thatcher couldn't get the educators to change their ways, though she appointed a Committee of Inquiry to investigate the teaching of reading in the schools. Apparently, the progressives were clever enough to pay lip service to phonics, ridiculing their advocates, but meanwhile continuing to support the whole-word method.
We've experienced the same situation here in the U.S. where No Child Left Behind was supposed to change the way reading is taught in American schools. In fact, a special billion-dollar reading initiative was passed by Congress to get phonics back into the schools. But the educators charged the government with a bias in reading instruction, which was discriminatory against whole-language educators. And from what I have been told by teachers in the field, whole language is still the dominant way reading is taught in American schools.
The two British authors write: "It took 40 years to produce the first 6 million adult illiterates but only another 10 to increase the total to 9 million. The annual rate has doubled."
And the reason why nothing will change despite the alarm sounded by this new book is because of the tight control the progressives have over the entire British education system. According to the Sunday Telegraph of June 27, 1993, the controlling cabal is called the All Souls Group, which holds its "clandestine thrice-yearly meetings" in an oak-paneled room at Oxford University.
No minutes are kept of the meetings, and no papers or public statements ever emerge. The discussions over evening sherry or dinner are protected by Chatham House Rules, which dictate proceedings are off the record. Chatham House is the British equivalent of our Council on Foreign Relations. Membership is by invitation and the criteria are shrouded in mystery.
Does such a secret education establishment exist in the United States? It does. It is called the Cleveland Conference and was organized in 1915 by professor Charles Judd, head of the University of Chicago School of Education, where William Scott Gray concocted the Dick and Jane look-say, whole-word, reading program. In his book, "Managers of Virtue," David Tyack writes:
[Judd] had a vision that both the structure of the schools and the curriculum needed radical revision but that change would take place "in the haphazard fashion that has characterized our school history unless some group gets together and undertakes, in a cooperative way, to coordinate reforms."
It is easy enough to follow the machinations of the progressives by simply reading the annual reports of the National Society for the Study of Education, founded in 1901. This is the gathering place of the educational elite, and their annual reports can be found in any university library.
For American parents, the only way to free themselves from the stranglehold of the progressive elite is to remove their children from the government schools and either educate them at home or place them in a private school based on traditional principles and teaching methods. As for the Brits, we hope that the new book awakens enough of them to break the hold of the All Souls Group. But don't hold your breath."
Paul and I have really upped our reading instruction with Ben the past few weeks. He will start kindergarten in the fall and we plan to have him reading by then, so that if Whole Language is the curriculum of choice at our charter school, he will already be reading. He is right at the tipping point where all four of my older children were when he blasted off into reading for pleasure. I love Dr. Blumenfelds books, and would encourage all parents to read them and understand the whole language/phonics war that has been going on in our schools for the past century.
His Alpha Phonics is the best reading curriculum on the market.
Real Clear Politics: John Stossel: Threat to Homeschooling
"The cat is finally out of the bag. A California appellate court, ruling that parents have no constitutional right to homeschool their children, pinned its decision on this ominous quotation from a 47-year-old case, "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train schoolchildren in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare."
There you have it; a primary purpose of government schools is to train schoolchildren "in loyalty to the state." Somehow that protects "the public welfare" more than allowing parents to homeschool their children, even though homeschooled kids routinely outperform government-schooled kids academically. In 2006, homeschooled students had an average ACT composite score of 22.4. The national average was 21.1.
.....I think the state court is looking at the state Constitution upside down. The court finds no constitutional right to homeschool one's children. But in a free country, people are free to do anything not expressly prohibited by law. If the Constitution is silent about homeschooling, then the right is reserved to the people. That's how the Framers of the U.S. Constitution said things are supposed to work."
WND: Superintendent's orders to worried dad: Butt out!
Elementary lessons on 'gay' issues now tied to reading, social studies
"The superintendent of a public school that sparked a federal lawsuit by teaching homosexuality to children as young as kindergarten has told another worried parent he can review course material, but he has no right to withdraw his child from class during lessons.
The lawsuit, on which WND has reported extensively, was filed by David Parker, whose child was in a class at Estabrook Elementary in Lexington, Mass.
Parker's strenuous objection to not being notified when lessons concerning homosexuality were presented landed him in jail overnight. His subsequent lawsuit resulted in a court verdict that essentially concludes parents have no rights to control what their children are taught."
And Political Editorials: Just a little note to my readers:
I know if may seem confusing that I have come out in support of Ron Paul, yet I still share links and editorials by Confirmed Neo Cons like those who write at National Review, The weekly Standard, and Kimberly Kagans Work through the Institute for the study of war. The fact is that my Libertarian and Neo Con sides are in conflict, and I have not yet decided which way forward is best for our country. All I can say is that I am watching it all very closely.
My Allegiance is first and foremost to the American Constitution, and Ron Paul is right in saying that Congress SHOULD have declared war, not The President through a UN Endorsement.
But with the many terrorist attacks off of our soil of the past thirty years, Coupled with the three attacks on our soil by muslim terrorists: 9-11, The attack of the Murrah Federal Buildling in Oklahoma and Flight 800 - (First Strike, an investigation into the destruction of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island on July 17, 1996) - Something had to be done beyond just another sanction from the United Nations.
I have been a very vocal supporter of the war and our attempts to "drain the swamp" in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I still completely support the President, Our Troops, Their Mission, and our side in the War on Terror. I believe those who dismiss terrorists and terrorism as a figment of George Bushs imagination are naive. And I believe our efforts to support Democracy in the Middle East is in fact the best way to nurture peace in our world.
That being said, I'm not sure America can continue to afford to fund the spread of Democracy and as an American Taxpayer concerned about our own economy, I believe a more isolationist policy is in order. I also believe that we should set in order our own house before we go into other countries to tell them how to live. I applaud the Iraqis for their constitution, their willingness to vote even though it meant some of them lost their lives, and I pray the money spent and the lives lost will give them a foothold in Democracy and National Sovereignty.
But for the long term "fix" for Americas Problems, The ONLY candidate I see who is articulating Freedom in a way I can completely endorse and applaud is in fact Ron Paul. And I still plan to vote for him in the fall primary, and perhaps even in the fall election. A message needs to be sent to our political class. And those of us who get Freedom understand that Ron Pauls platform is the way to achieve true American Sovereignty and Freedom.
Here are my favorite political editorials from this past week:
NRO: Victor Davis Hanson
Back to the Good Ole Days Before Dubya? How Obama will restore America's standing in the world.
Certain Defeat Does not Deter Ron Paul
Ron Paul War and Foreign Policy: "The only proper way to go to war, the only legal way to go to war, the only constitutional way to go to war is to declare the war, by the congress, not by the president. The people should be behind it."
Weekly Standard: Kimberly Kagan
What Happened in Basra
The Wall Street Journal: Kimberly Kagan: The Second Iran-Iraq War
"These are the facts of the case established so far. There has been much speculation about what happened in Basra itself: about possible deals between Maliki and Sadr, about the benefits Sadr or Maliki might have received from this encounter, and about Maliki's motivations.
Because British forces, nominally responsible for the area in which Basra is located, have abandoned the city, there were few coalition forces present and very few Westerners at all. Most of the details of the operation publicized in the American press come from Iraqi stringers, the usual anonymous Iraqi officials, and, it seems, some Sadrist media outlets. In all previous operations where U.S. forces were present, we have learned that such information is of limited value. We simply do not yet know how well the ISF acquitted itself in the actual fighting, what if any areas were cleared, who was resisting, and so on.
Domestic critics of the war have so-far focused on a forensic dissection of what American commanders knew about Maliki's plans and when. Many have also hastened to argue that the flaws in the operation demonstrate the incompetence of the ISF. Those enthralled with prosecutorial inquisitions can amuse themselves by trying to figure out when Maliki told General David Petraeus he was going to attack, but what difference does it make?
The operation was clearly imperfectly planned and was launched before the necessary conditions had been set. Failures of coordination did not prevent coalition forces from providing necessary air support--the most important reasons for Maliki to coordinate with Petraeus--even if it did require scrambling to meet an unexpected situation. Failure to set conditions properly led to a flawed operation, but reinforcements were flowing in when Sadr backed down, and it is hard to say how things would have proceeded if he had decided to fight."
"Senior officials of the Iranian government, the U.S. military has noted in press briefings, support and in some cases control, illegal armed groups that are fighting American forces and undermining the Iraqi government. In particular, the recent fighting in Basra and Baghdad is not at root a civil war between Iraqi Shia political factions, but an ongoing struggle between the Iraqi government and illegal militias organized, trained, equipped and funded by Iran."
The Institute for the Study of War
Thank You General Petraeus
This week General David Petraeus will report to Congress on the recent progress in Iraq. When General Petraeus testified six months ago, he was the victim of personal and vicious attacks by ultra-liberal groups. MoveOn.org took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling General Petraeus a traitor.
The truth is most Americans do not approve of MoveOn.org’s actions, nor do they support MoveOn’s radical positions on many issues. So this time as he testifies before Congress, we want General Petraeus and the troops he leads to know we stand with them.
Join Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in thanking General Petraeus by signing this special thank-you card below.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 5:29 AM
April 6, 2008
Live Blogging General Conference
D. Todd Christofferson
The new Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, D. Todd Christofferson. With the passing of President Hinckley, a new apostle was called and sustained along with the new first presidency at General Conference yesterday. I had a witness from the Holy Spirit that this change in the First Presidency was pleasing to our Heavenly Father and that President Monson was the person called and set apart to be the president of the church and the spokesperson for our Savior.
And here is a link to the article on the churchs web site.
Denver Colorado Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
"Elder Christofferson had most recently been serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy with supervisory responsibility for the North America Northwest and North America West Areas. He previously had supervisory responsibility for the North America Southeast Area and has served as executive director of the Family and Church History Department and as president of the Mexico South Area of the Church.
Born in Pleasant Grove, Utah, he graduated from high school in New Jersey, earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, where he was an Edwin S. Hinckley Scholar, and his law degree from Duke University. He practiced law in Washington, D.C. and has been a senior vice president and associate general counsel for major banking institutions.
At a news conference early Saturday afternoon, Elder Christofferson said that he felt a degree of incredulity, as well as a deep sense of humility and gratitude for the trust shown in him with respect to his new calling as an apostle in the Church.
He said that he felt great desire, anxiety and hope with respect to serving others in the spirit of Christ’s admonition to Peter to “feed my sheep” and “feed my lambs.”
I have learned from past experience that it is too exhausting to live blog all four sessions of general conference. Since the third session that takes place on sunday morning always finishes with the major remarks from the living prophet, I will live blog only President Thomas S. Monsons talk from this amazing and life changing conference.
First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The members of the First Presidency, President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, have been in their current leadership positions since 3 February.
The First Presidency was reorganized following the death of the Church’s 15th president, Gordon B. Hinckley, who passed away on 27 January.
President Monson is the 16th worldwide leader of the Church. President Eyring, who serves as first counselor to President Monson, previously served as second counselor in the First Presidency. Second counselor, President Uchtdorf, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles prior to his new assignment.
The First Presidency is the most senior governing body in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
We issue the heart felt invitation...Come back! We want to welcome you into full fellowship. Let us lift you and cheer you and calm your fears.
Take literally the Lords invitation, "come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy leaden....ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The Savior, "he went about doing good" May we follow that perfect example.
Apostle Paul, "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, any praise....THINK ON THESE THINGS!!"
To members of the church, show kindness, respect....demonstrate respect for diversity.
Kindness and love within our own families. Our families should be places where peace dwells, where the storms stop at the door of our homes.
Our Father in Heaven has given us the tools to win the war between good and evil. He loves us, each one.
Mortality is a time of testing, proving, to see if we are worthy to live with our Heavenly Father.
With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice as a special witness...
Jesus is our Savior, our redeemer...because he loves us, he gave his life for us. My gratitude to him is beyond expression.
I Invoke his blessings upon you my sisters and brethren.
I pledge my strength and all I have to give to him....and do so in his holy name, even the Lord Jesus Christ.... Amen.
Core Beliefs: Why and How Are Mormons Different?
Background Information of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 11:31 AM
April 5, 2008
General Conference April 5 - 6, 2008
The Paul Hatch Family April 2008
My parents drove out to Colorado on the way to Salt Lake City for Conference this weekend. They stopped by early in the week and we had a family gathering. My Dad snapped this shot of our family with his digital camera. My parents will be in the conference center for the solemn assembly this morning in Salt Lake City.
Here is a link to an article published this morning on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints web site explaing General Conference! The conference is streamed live on the internet, so click on the link to get to the site!
We will be sustaining our new Prophet Thomas Monson:
"Men and women who are offered various opportunities to serve in the Church are given this kind of acknowledgement by common consensus of other Church members in local congregational meetings. When a new First Presidency is sustained, the meeting is called a solemn assembly.
Common consent in the Church is an agreement among the members and leaders of a congregation, local or worldwide, regarding proposed assignments given to people within that congregation. Individuals choose to accept an assignment, and fellow members then have the chance to show support for that decision. A form of congregational common consent was practiced in biblical times, as found in the book of Exodus, when Moses “told the people all the words of the Lord” and the “people answered with one voice.”
General Conference is Personal
"Mormons find that the same address can be understood in different ways by different people. Mormons ascribe this to a desire on the part of each person to receive uniquely relevant and applicable instruction and inspiration from sermons, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. This form of tailor-made learning, experienced by people of all faith traditions who sincerely engage with sacred texts or in religious services, is something that must be experienced to be truly comprehended.
For Mormons, general conference is an exciting time when large numbers gather to hear sermons, sacred music and news. But the most satisfying, profound and exhilarating thoughts and feelings of inspiration come when one person receives an answer to a serious personal question or is reassured by a connectedness to God and others."
As a confirmed News Junkie, General Conference is an opportunity for me to relax, sit back, and over a two day span hear eight hours of pure unadulterated truth. It always recharges my batteries and keeps me grounded for the next six months of "the philosophies of men mingled with scripture" as I closely follow current events.
Paul and Jenny Hatch with my parents.
This is a short montage of some of the pictures my Dad took at our gathering.
Posted by Jenny Hatch at 7:41 AM
April 4, 2008
CNN: Jenny McCarthy: My sons recovery from autism - Jenny Spanks Docs on Larry King LIVE!
Green Our Vaccines Rally on June 4, 2008 in Washington, DC.
"In light of the recent Hannah Poling decision, in which the federal court conceded that vaccines could have contributed to her autism, we think the tide is finally turning