Where are we headed?

You guys know I don’t post on here very often. I post when something means a lot to me. Well something means a lot to me at this point in my life and I need to speak about it. This will guaranteed be a long post, so move on if you aren’t into long ones!

Suzanne and I see blogging not just as a way for people to get a glimpse into our life, but mostly as a type of “online journal” that someday our kids will be able to look back at. Scrapbooking for the 21st century without having to buy all that acid free bull crap paper and silly scissors. (I apologize to the scrapbookers out there, I’m sure yours are beautiful!) As far as the online journal goes, I really want my kids someday to look back and see how their dad felt about an important topic, and which side of the fence he sat on. Look at this post as if you were listening in to the conversation I would have with my kids if they were a little older and understood these topics, although I am sure they understand a lot right now. If you are offended I am sorry, this is how I feel.

The issue: Politics and Religion—here we go!!!!

I assume that all of you know my wife and I are LDS (Mormon) unless there are random people we don’t even know looking at this blog, which is unlikely but possible. I want to make sure that is known up front so you can see where I am coming from. Some people would say religion and politics are not connected, but the God I believe in says all things are temporal and spiritual and so I believe politics are intensely spiritual by their nature. By the end of this I will tell you who will get my vote for president. I voted for George Bush in the last two elections, and I have been disappointed in how things have gone. He has let me down as a social and fiscal conservative. I think he missed a huge opportunity to accomplish great good for our country and the world, and it is a shame.

I am going to choose to ignore the issue of the environment and whether or not global warming is something caused by man. I do this for the following reason: It is nowhere near the most important issue facing our country right now. Instead I will discuss a few of what I consider to be the more pressing issues at this time.

Let me start by telling you what I believe about this country. Most of my beliefs about it are tied directly to the teachings of my church. This is because I have grown up as a Mormon and have a testimony that the church is correct in its teachings. I believe this country is a direct result of God’s direction and inspiration to the founders of this country. The constitution was directed by Him (D & C 101:77, 80). Because I believe this to be true, I believe the rights allowed us as citizens in that document to be rights given by God. These rights do not come from “constitutional scholars” or politicians. God gave them to us. If you haven’t read the constitution lately, please do it again with your children, teach them about it and what it says.

Unfortunately, many politicians today seem to be moving further and further away from what I believe to be a sacred document. Government is intruding more and more in the lives of us as a people making it more difficult to be free. People who take a risk and succeed in life are punished by paying excessive taxes, and they are told it is just “their fair share” and will make them “feel more patriotic.” (see Joe Biden).

I will use this opportunity to say I have worked my &*% off to get where I am today and I am offended by those statements. I grew up in a family that would be considered by most to be lower middle or upper lower class. I earned a scholarship for college by studying like crazy in high school, I skipped countless activities in school to study instead and now finally have achieved my goal of my desired profession. I chose it. I could have chosen to have fun and perhaps now have a job that provided less for my income. My choice either way. Don’t punish me for it. I know God couldn’t care less (side note: always been a pet peeve when I hear someone say “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”) what job any of us have or how much money we make. He has so many more important things to worry about, like whether or not we are doing a good job as a spouse, parent, and neighbor. However, I do believe he wants us to be happy in doing whatever job we choose (and I include the job of Mother as the most difficult, important, and noble job in the world) and I do not believe God has ever punished someone for working hard. His own tax plan is fair, although he goes even further by making tithing OPTIONAL, something I am definitely not promoting for government.

Well that briefly covers my attitude about taxes and where I believe God stands. Don’t punish people who work hard, it makes them want to work less.

This seems like a good transition point to the idea that “Jesus was a liberal.” I have heard that before, often from people in my church who believe in liberal ideals. They often cite references to the scriptures about Jesus’ life and how He cared for people. He did help the downtrodden, maimed, weak, possessed, even dead! I agree and believe this to be true, but the question is how did He help them? I don’t recall the reference where Jesus said “government should help the downtrodden.” Please let me know where that one is. It seems to me His teaching was that PEOPLE should help PEOPLE if they choose to do so, and PEOPLE should often help themselves out of their situation. (Remember the man who had to go wash HIMSELF to be healed of leprosy? Why did he have to do any of the work, why didn’t God just heal him on the spot????)

If Jesus was a liberal (and I don’t believe He was), why isn’t He a liberal now? This will be the point in my post where I make liberal Mormons angry, but that is just how I feel. The church provides welfare to people throughout the world and also locally. Mormon “helping hands,” not Mormon “hand outs.” The church works along side people helping them through tragedy, but also teaches people the value of working for themselves and lifting themselves up. If a Bishop gives assistance to a family, they are expected to use that assistance to work in some way for what they receive, overcome their problem and not have it happen again by being smarter and working harder in the future. (We are saved by grace, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO. 2 Nephi 25:23)

The LDS church does not make any statements as to how people in the church should vote politically, except in the cases of moral issues it deems to be important. However, most people would agree that the majority of active Mormons would consider themselves conservative. (I am going to assume an 80% conservative rate, just for the sake of argument, although I would guess it is closer to 90%.) Why are they conservative? Is that just by dumb luck? Why is it such a majority? If there is a right and wrong choice, who is more likely to be correct? If Jesus believes abortion is wrong and men should only marry women would He support people who don’t? Could I stand in front of Christ and say “you have it wrong….they love each other, what’s the big deal about them getting married? It was a bad time in her life and she just couldn’t have dealt with the baby, aborting it was the right thing, and good thing we had legal abortion huh?” Are you kidding me? Believe me I have many things in my life to be embarrassed and ashamed about in front of my Maker but there is no way I will stand in front of Him and say I supported people who took those views. I believe in living prophets, and living prophets have been extremely clear on these two topics….it is wrong and we shouldn’t support it. By extension we shouldn’t support candidates who do. I know, I know, “but I have gay friends” you might say. Well so do I, but that doesn’t make it right. God loves gays, I agree. But if God and His prophet tell me to fight against gay marriage I am willing to do it. Easy as that. If that includes supporting Proposition 8 in California then fine with me. God said to.

The Book of Mormon is a true book, and we can learn lessons from it for our day. I won’t go into the specifics but I refer you to the story about the Freemen and Kingmen…who is who in today’s politics? Why do so many people today want to give more and more power to the government, rather than leaving the power where it should be, with the people? Remember WE THE PEOPLE? Who are the terrorists in the Book of Mormon stories?

This is already way too long, and I could go on forever on these and many other topics, but let me summarize a bit.

God created this planet.

God designed this country and was directly involved in its organization.

I love this country and am willing to fight for what I think is right, including (and not to be dramatic) with my own life if I need to.

Protecting this country from evil is in the best interest of God, His church, and us as his children.

The free market and a democratic republic as organized by the founding fathers are better than socialism.

Politicians are taking away the ideals of this country by cleverly disguising them in the name of “Tolerance” and “Freedom” and “Choice.”

Politicians have way too much power and are intruding more and more on our lives as citizens, over taxing, over spending, and dictating how my money should be spent.

Moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion have been clearly discussed by prophets who speak to God, and they have asked us to fight against these as evils.

If Jesus was a liberal, He isn’t now, and He isn’t real big on the switching back and forth thing, He seems to be a “same now and forever” kind of guy.

Although “progressives” see the “sheep mentality” as bad, Jesus himself described us as His sheep. Perhaps looking to the prophets and the majority of active Mormons for guidance has less of a chance of steering us the wrong direction than going against the grain would. Ask yourselves what is it about Obama that makes him so attractive to the people in Hollywood? If any one group of people go completely against me in everything I believe about God it is them. That is one group of sheep I don’t want to be caught dead with! Also, I think it is a fair question to ask yourself who President Monson will and will not be voting for. He is a man who talks to God and sees the future. I think he votes accordingly, and chooses candidates he feels are the most likely to promote the work of God. Is that Obama?

I don’t want our country taken away from us by liberal ideals.

In two weeks we will have the chance to vote for president of the United States. Was Jesus wrong when he wrote the constitution? Was that just too old school? I want my kids to know that in 2008, when the economy was bad, the terrorists (gadianton robbers) were at our doorstep, and the politicians (kingmen) were promoting their ideals and their power, I DID NOT vote for Barack Obama. He will likely win the election, but I want them to know it wasn’t with my support. So my vote is NOT BARACK OBAMA. Please don’t assume by this I am voting for John McCain…I agree with him on his moral stands and his military/foreign policy, but his economics stink like a big pile of liberal over spending. All of this puts me in a position where I will most likely be voting but not for either of the two “big party” candidates.

May God continue to bless the USA like he has in the past. I hope we are not heading down the wrong side of the Book of Mormon cycle, but I fear we are. Too many people are being pacified and led to believe our founding fathers had it wrong all along.