Short Story of Christmas Manger Birth from America

I speak from the dust.  Born of the great Nephite nation I speak as one who walked and died in a blessed land far from our home in the Holy Land.  I am Gorom son of Laret.  I reach across the rugged road of time to tell you the tale of the Great Bearded Prophet’s birth.  He came and healed a broken people.  He lived with us and danced with the four winds among us.  Though He came to us on a beam of light from the great sky, His legend was known far long before we touched the prints upon his feet.  His birth and even death had been prophesied even from the days of Isaiah down through the ages.

For me, the legend started when I was a boy.  I remember the faithfulness of my father and mother.  Father was a craftsman of wood in the land of Zarahemla.  They looked forward to a sign from the heavens of a Great Birth that would usher in an era of salvation among the children of the Great Father in heaven.  My earliest recollection was of a great madness in the courts of the city.  Legions of rocks and arrows darkened the sky as they were hurled at a man upon our city wall.  The power of disbelief grew strong among my people.  So much so that many of those who believed went into hiding or remained silent out of fear.  This man on the wall was Samuel the Lamanite - and he believed.  Samuel was not silent but was the mouthpiece of the One who should come.  He didn’t always understand why but he always went where he was led to preach the word of goodwill and salvation.

Great wonders came to view as the years followed.  Wonders to be unto the convincing of the disbeliever as well as a blessing to the believer.  At the same time, all these wonders served as a preparation for all creation that a great crossroad in time and space was about to manifest itself.  Many things took place that defy all reasoning.  Flocks all around tended to protect and cherish the firstlings.  Many of our sick and infirm healed quickly and returned home to their families.  Deep quiet whisperings often spoke in many hearts causing deep reflection and reverence.  These whisperings grew louder and became more frequent in the following few years after Samuel came down from that wall.  Clouds began to divert from being directly overhead of the temple grounds.  They moved as if with knowledge of a great occurrence there and didn’t want to desecrate it.  All these and many more miracles took place especially in that year of the Light.

Contention grew dangerously in that year among my people.  Disbelievers began to dictate to God, and even dared to set a date and place for the prophesied sign of the Christ birth.  If the sign pronounced by the the man on the wall, Samuel, was not achieved then all believers would die.  I remember my father, my mother, my older brother and younger siblings and myself being stripped from our home one evening by a band of lawless robbers.  We were made to kneel in submission as we meet our fate.  I remember the peace in my father’s eyes at that moment.  He was calm and I remembered the dream he told us that he had the night before.  Father told us that the Great Spirit carried him to the motherland across the sea and showed him a fair virgin, great with birth, with battalions of angels from the unseen world standing guard about her.

At that seemingly fateful hour the sun had almost set.  Darkness would normally be readying to blanket the land.  An imposing man painted black reverted his sword to the sky and eyed the stretched neck of my father.  I knelt next to my father and mother in fear yet with humble admiration of the stalwart nature of my parents.  With the executioner’s back to the setting sky I suddenly saw a piercing light in the whites of his eyes.  Obviously coming from the eastern horizon he looks on at the light which caught his attention.  His posse of seven others also looked toward the east.  Offering a brief relief from death, my family also turned the head to look with curiosity.  Samuel was right!  Not even the fiery furnace of hell could change this fact at this moment.

The blackness of hate that raped the land fell silent.  We felt the ground shake as countless unrepentant throughout the land fell helpless to their knees.  This included our captors.  Not only was the sign given, but this was an especial sign that gave off a “living” light that permeated the heart of all life.  Unless the heart was hopelessly blackened in the mires, there was no denying at that moment that the Christ was born in a land across the seas.  A great correction took place in that hour and many hearts were cleansed.

Among the faithful many saw and heard concourses of angels singing.  Others saw even their flocks on bended knee.  Many stories of multitudes of birds spreading the news to all life manifested in numbers.  There was no tree, no river, no insect and no rock that didn’t know that the Christ was born.  The earth was created.  The earth was baptized in flood.  Now, the earth sees the prospect of salvation.

This occasion gave us all pause and engaged us in continual peace for a few years.  The prophecy is fulfilled.  Scores of martyred holy men of old now cry from the dust in victory that their words are fulfilled.  As with all things memory dims and people fall into adverse ways.  Great diversities and contentions eventually raged once again in the land.  This led up to the great arrival of the Bearded White God who came to us on that beam of light.  It was He who was testified of by a bright star that night.  That is another story.

The purpose of my words here is to testify that a baby of divine nature was born across the sea.  His inauguration was undeniable even to many who disbelieved.  All things are born spiritually before they are manifested physically.  Therefore, true faith and strong foundation must first be anchored in that which is not readily seen with the eye but felt with the heart.

My story joins the throng of innumerable others that testify of Jesus Christ.  Innumerable are they that are not known among men but shall come forth at their appointed time to further heal a dying world.  His birth and the signs thereof were witnessed by millions.  Imagine the testaments yet to be known.  His death was equally felt.  Imagine the testaments yet to be known.  As one who has witnessed both I am resolute to say that Jesus is the Christ.

Care not for riches and things of want.  They cannot enter any kingdom which you will inevitably enter.  Place your time, talents and energies into that which will enter.  Mastering goodwill, charity, love, learning science, working as a team,  loving your spouse and loving God are all things that qualify you to realms exalted.  Jesus Christ was born among the most humbled of means and settings.  Though I did not see it with mine own eyes I did see the truth of it in the living light that beamed off the robber’s eyes.

I speak to you that you may know that mortality is an essential part of your ascension.  You are one, and the One who once laid in a poor manger found you worthy to die for.  I speak to you as one who felt the prints in his hands and feet over thirty years after that star shone bright.  As promised He came to visit the lost sheep that were not of the fold in the Holy Land.  His grand gesture of sacrifice is universal and is a type and example that we are to follow.  Sacrifice for our fellow man, living and dead, enable us to be a co-heir with Jesus Christ.

Samuel was a faithful servant.  Shall we be so bold as to follow in such footsteps.

New Catholic Parish Hall Dedication Brings Hope and Goodwill

My family and I were pleased to accept an invitation to attend the St. Mary’s Parish Hall Dedication.  It was an honor to support and mingle with my Catholic friends and to share the joys of my very good friend, Father Vern Smith.  Attending with the multitude was Bishop Richard Pates of the Diocese of Des Moines.  This building was long awaited and has now been realized.  Now, to sit in the triumph of St. Mary’s whose parishioners sacrificed so much to build I am humbled at the outcome.  Humbled in like manner as I am of the perseverance of our Mormon Pioneers and their pursuits in the cause of faith.

I reflect upon our own meetinghouse building expansion back in 1995.  Latter-day Saint buildings are designed and expected to be built with care and quality material.  Not long after the concrete foundation was laid we noticed cracking and buckling.  As it turns out the concrete was substandard and had to be entirely stripped from the grounds.  A new foundation had to be poured.  A new and strong foundation had to be lain in order to build a house upon it.  It was evident on this dedication day that a strong foundation both physically and spiritually was laid for the new Parish Hall at St. Mary’s.  It was an honor and privilege to attend this grand occasion.

This parish hall will serve the needs for both the Catholic community as well as the geographic community at large.  St. Mary’s opens up it’s doors to this facility to those needing the space for a variety of events such as weddings, meetings and other gatherings.  This is a wonderful gesture of outreach to the community.  It is a miracle from the heavens to sit down together as Catholics, Mormons and even other protestant faiths in love and respect yet without any ire.

Our world has taken a dangerous trend in matters of faith.  God has been removed from our schools.  Nobody want to establish a particular faith within public schools, but no one should strip the right and privilege of any individual from expressing personal prayer or some other harmless example of devotion.  When we remove He whom we are accountable to from our infrastructure and establishments then we are no longer in His favor and guidance.  Why?  It is because we have openly forgotten to acknowledge God and equally important our responsibility and accountability to Him.  This creates the world we live in today - a world of divisiveness.

I am eternally grateful that in our little community in southwest Iowa many of us have learned to put aside differences that we often use to offend our neighbor, and instead embrace one another in brotherly and sisterly love.  Not only do we celebrate our differences through goodwill but we also complement our liberties in this great land by learning to be one - out of many.  God loves a wondrous variety!  What better testing ground for a higher state of living, being and coexisting among Father’s many mansions than here in mortality striving to live one with another with all our complexities.

On behalf of the Shenandoah Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and most of all on behalf of my family I thank the parishioners of St. Mary’s for their invitation, hospitality and good hearts.  That includes during this particular time of celebration and at all other times that form and style our growing relationships.  May the new Parish Hall edifice serve to strengthen the Catholic community and the Shenandoah community as a whole.  May it stand the test of these difficult and perilous times.  May it prove that faith and goodwill are timeless ingredients to the favor of God.

May we strive to look forward with hope and peace for the benefit of our families, communities, nation, world and most of all - our very souls.

Life Lessons of Newtown, Connecticut

December 14th, 2012, will now be another day etched into the hearts and minds of Americans.  It joins a list of horrific events which have come to pass in this year.  Newtown, Connecticut, bears the weight of the death of twenty six deaths at the hands of a gunman.  Twenty children were murdered in two classrooms in an elementary school along with six teachers.  May the families be blessed with the comforting arms of God about them.

During times of death among children great confusion can build among the troubled at heart.  Many believe little children in death are lost and cannot return to the presence of the Father.  Others have each their own views of such deaths.  I will offer my views of these little ones, but it should never be forgotten that the sole responsibility for these deaths reside with the man who pulled the trigger.  It will be purported that society or media added to the mental state of the shooter.  Regardless of the reality of these allegations, the basic agency of choice has not been taken from us.  We have a choice in all things and this man chose wrong.

These children are not lost - but are alive in Christ.  Children who perish before they are accountable for their actions are not lost but are directly received into the kingdom of God.  Unaccountable children are pure before the One, and are gladly brought back into into the realms of heralding hosts in heaven.  It cannot be any other way.

We often look at what is lost in those lives.  High school graduation, marriage, fruitful careers, children of their own and even grandchildren are part of life’s joys and sorrows.  I am here to promise you that our mortality is an essential part of our ascension into boundless possibilities, and that every spirit born into this world will have the opportunity to grow and develop into their full measure of spirit.  At the dawn of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ even these young gems will come forth in the stature as they left this world to grow and be raised by worthy parents.  They will do so with wisdom and knowledge far exceeding any expectation we can venture at this time.  This very doctrine should be that glimmer of hope and joy for any grieving parent.

Prior to our birth we all lived and were reared in the presence of countless others who prepared us for the grand journey stemming from a mortal birth.  Each of us enjoyed individuality as we do here.  Each of us had our strengths and weaknesses that we would hopefully develop further on earth as part of that treasure of knowledge and experience that we retain throughout the eternities.  Be it known that there were and are those who’ve proven themselves of such valiance and worthiness in that home that their only requirement needed is to gain a body of flesh and bone.  There are those whose qualifications exceeds most of us here in life.  Are these children among the pinnacle of valiance described?  Are others whose mortal mental deficiencies and handicaps among these of the pure and undefiled?  Are those who “somehow seem” to teach us compassion, patience and love among these select spirits?  Make your own judgement but this doctrine rests the timeless questions of “why” tragedies such as this happen.  They tend to happen to teach the rest of us important lessons.

Even now with the events in Newtown, Connecticut, we can learn vast lessons.  Hold your children tight in love and understanding.  Tell them each day that you love them.  In the wake of these events let us pause and ponder silently how we can grow from this tragic event.  To remember is to hope.  To remember is to reach out even more in your daily thoughts and actions.  To remember - is to be of good cheer and honor the dead through goodwill toward men.

Doomsday, Mayan calendar, Fiscal Cliff and a Snickers Bar

Doomsday 2012, the Apocalypse, the Mayan calendar, December 21st and even the end of the world are on the minds of many as there are those who think this may take place in the month of December of 2012.  Let’s go further and then I will tell you the solution to all the problems and impending calamities of our time.  Tax hikes, abortion, gay rights, gay marriage vs. traditional marriage, health care,  entitlements, nuclear war, Iran, North Korea, Israel and the newly approved Palestinian state, education reform, school lunches, global warming, energy crisis, personal debt and the rise in heart disease are all concerns that the world inflicts itself with.  It is easy in this day and age to feel isolated as the world collapses around you.  Yet, with all the complexities of mortality why should the solutions be equally complex?  Is it possible to find happiness in the solutions before us?

I’ve discovered the source solution to the world’s problems.  It doesn’t stem from Congress nor does it derive from the beloved halls of the United Nations.  It’s not uttered from the “divine” lips of Sandra Fluke or revealed in plot in the Twilight series.  It’s not shown on your credit card bill nor on your meager pay stub.  It’s mystery is not seen to the naked eye on a ballot’s hanging chad nor in the campaign promises of any governmental position.  I found the answer to life’s turmoils in none other than a Snickers bar.  Yes, a Snickers bar!  Though I’m not privy to it an almond Snickers it came out to be.  What?  What blasphemy is this man speaking of?  I’ll tell you...

My son has a weekly paper route.  Not big, only about 75 homes or so.  I assist him in this route primarily during the school season so that he may tend to his school assignments earlier.  I thank the lucky stars above that there are no vicious dogs on this route.  At least none that are outside when I’m there.  The route starts at the same time each week.  I do my part from 2:20 to 3:00 and my son does the rest after I pick him up from school at 3:05.  It’s nothing major but allows for some exercise and a little money for my son.

Monday, the 19th of November was a particularly pleasant day to walk the papers.  The sun was out and it wasn’t cold enough to chill your innards into panic or complacency.  Toward the end of my part of the route a lady came out of her home after I delivered to her doorstep.  She mentioned that she had missed reaching me over the past couple weeks but that she wanted to thank me for the service.  She enjoyed that her paper was delivered consistently and at the same time each week.  She then handed me an almond Snickers in appreciation.  It was simple and from the heart.

What does this have to do with all the problems mentioned above?  Everything!  It’s called goodwill.  It’s called going out of your way to uplift the next person.  It’s called selfless service.  I had left her doorstep in a better mood and better outlook than when I arrived.  That’s what it’s all about!  Goodwill and positive reinforcement doesn’t have to be complex.  It was never meant to be complex - but liberating.  Kindness, though seen as cheesy by many nowadays, can liberate you from life’s obstacles.

Here is the secret to happiness:  If we are unhappy with the our own life then we simply are not reaching out enough to make happy the lives of those around us.

With this small effort we could cleanse Americans, the halls of Congress and the White House.  Sincere happiness infused into our environment through positive service allows correct discernment, making our decisions of elected officials true and good.  It lifts our daily burdens and relieves the yoke from our necks.  Just think, how many of our elected officials gained their votes from voters with contention in their hearts?  This is not a partisan question but a basic voter question.  How many voted because they hated the other guy or relished the promises of one over the other?  We hear of Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Constitutionalist and even Socialist but how little do we hear of American.  An American is in an active pursuit of happiness.  If this were so today it would decimate the need of all political parties.  It would create an environment of a true Republic that knows the value of work and the worth of the soul next to him.  It would create a government authentically of the people, by the people and for the people.

With kindness there would be no fiscal cliff or the threat thereof.  Sincere kindness invokes loyalty and true character.  If we were happy we would be inspired to rightly appoint officials who were responsible and loyal to our Constitution.  Not only would we hold them accountable but we’d make ourselves equally accountable for such faulty voting when things go awry.  An American is accountable and responsible for everything around him.

With kindness any outbreak of war would be swift, quick and with resolve.  Obviously, this sounds like an oxymoron putting war and kindness in the same sentence.  Let’s not kid ourselves though.  We are in a very violent and malicious world.  Wars do and will happen.  Starting the chain of kindness first within our homes and communities can change a nation.  Kindness, in turn, can change the world but not overnight.  When conflict arises and diplomacy fails an inspired leader elected by a positive people would act swiftly and decisively in the best interest of those whom he represents.  In this day and age there is absolutely no reason for long drawn out wars and engagements.

It may sound like a stretch to connect simple kindness with the solutions of our times but my challenge is to ponder over it and to prove the principle wrong.

As I look about us especially in the United States I see influential people, people in high positions of government, media and entertainment, who haven’t the first clue of what kindness is.  I see people who spread their influence upon the virus of hate.  I see members of entertainment posing as political monoliths through productions of hateful slanders and misinformation.  I see media giants so full of contention that they cannot see any validity beyond their own agenda.  These things canker that heart but what greater influence can there be than to offer your coat to a cold homeless man.  What benefit is there in helping a child shoot a basketball into a hoop?  What greater treasure is there than to help an elderly lady carry her groceries out to her car?  It’s the choice between what is right - and what is wrong.

I started this writing with the thought of doomsday or the Mayan calendar.  Is it not apparent that this is believed and propagated by unhappy people?  Know this that any “end of world” scenario will be put into motion very little by any God.  We create our own demise in this life.  If we choose to be prideful and look solely after our own interests then, yeah, life may come to a screeching halt sooner rather than later.  Yet, if we live our lives in pure selfless service to our neighbor there is no obstacle we can’t overcome, no breadth we can’t expand and no level of prosperity we can’t reach.  Our decisions affect the outcome of the next moment.  As a species our collective decisions affect the course of the world.  Yes, I am among the Christians who believe that Jesus Christ will return but I also believe that the conditions leading up to it are overwhelmingly in our control within the realms of our decision making skills.

It comes down to this.  When considering the doom of the abortion debate or the fiscal cliff or the outcome of the Presidential election what course of action will allow you to enhance better decision making.  That should be simple - service!  If you want to be happy and you want the people around you happy then expand your level and outreach of service.  If you want a strong and healthy nation raising a royal generation then take steps to be happy and become a service-oriented person.

Fret not over the negative campaigns going on.  Yes, our decisions as a people have catapulted us into a very rough road ahead.  If we ready our homes as havens and refuges from such storms we’ll be able to come out of this better on the other side.  To influence the world you must begin at the foundation of it.  Change yourself and influence your home and family.  Like a lit candle in a dark world your example with attract the gaze and prompt others to follow suit.

The challenge and moral of this writing is to increase your ability to serve others and dwell less on your own self interests.  My promise is that if you do this with a sincere heart you will find your own needs met and your happiness ensured.  It doesn't have to be a Snickers bar but let my little experience serve as an example or symbolic possibility of giving happiness to those around you.