Character, Liberty, and National Survival

Character, Liberty, and National Survival

“Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free.” ~Edmund Burke

An Atheist Tyrant Learns the Secret to Liberty

Once, in ancient Meso-America, there was a king who ruled over many lands, but there was no peace. He and his armies were always fighting with other native American peoples, resulting in much death and destruction.

It came to pass that his son Lamoni was visited by some missionaries from another land. Notwithstanding that the missionary was from an enemy nation, Lamoni became converted to Christianity. One day Lamoni and his missionary friend Ammon were setting out for the land of Middoni, and they met Lamoni’s father, the king of Middoni. The old king was furious with his son for consorting with the enemy, and sought to kill Ammon with his sword. But Ammon bested him with excellent swordsmanship. Fearing for his life, the king promised Ammon anything, up to half his kingdom. All Ammon wanted was for Lamoni to have freedom to worship according to his newfound faith.

The king was so astonished that his anger vanished. He released Ammon’s brother Aaron from prison, and invited him for a visit. “If thou sayest that there is a God, behold I will believe.”

“Behold,” replied Aaron, “assuredly as thou livest, O king, there is a God.”

Aaron taught the king about the creation of the earth, and the fall of Adam. He explained that the only way to overcome his fallen nature and be saved from death was to stop sinning, or in other words, repent.

“What shall I do,” asked the king, “that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy? Behold, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.”

Aaron told him that if he would repent of all his sins, and call on God in faith, he would receive that hope.

When he heard Aaron’s words, the king knelt down and cried mightily, saying: “O God . . . if there is a God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee.” 

God heard his prayers and the king became a new man. He proclaimed religious liberty throughout all the land, and all the people lived in peace. (Alma 22:6-18) The old king changed his heart because he desired something better than the way he was living. He exchanged his pride for humility, and he became accountable to God, instead of a law unto himself.

World history is a vast chronicle of the rise and fall of nations, according to the good or bad character of their leaders. The fact is that in most nations, democracy does not seem to survive any longer than 50 years, or one generation. Now dictators have come to power in America because of pride and lust for power, threatening our cherished freedom. They want to command and control every aspect of people’s lives, without being accountable to God or to the people who granted them the power.

Governments are a product of the character of their people. The less “internal government” achieved by leaders who cannot control their lust for power, or by people with an entitlement mentality, the more external laws that seem to be required.

“Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free.” ~Edmund Burke

How can we prepare the rising generation for principled leadership in tomorrow’s world? 

Click here.

Parenting Value: Kindness

May Parenting Value: Kindness and Friendliness

Richard and Linda Eyre

The value of Kindness
& Friendliness

Becoming more extra-centered and less self-centered. Learning to feel with and for others. Empathy, tolerance, brotherhood. Sensitivity to needs in people and situations.

Introduction

Simple kindness and friendliness is a great human value. It involves parts of other values, such as the empathy of sensitivity and the boldness of courage, but it is a very separate and different value from these. This value is also partially an extension of the value of peaceability. In peaceability we try to teach children not to hurt and to avoid conflicts. Here we teach the positive side of being a friend, acting friendly and kindly, and becoming more polite and courteous.

Friendliness and gentleness also apply to self. Children who learn to be gentle and tolerant with themselves grow up to be less stressed and more relaxed and self-secure.

Simple friendliness (based on our earlier-established criteria and definition of a value of something that helps others and diminishes hurt in others) is a profound value. Often a simple act of kindness or a word or two of extended friendship can change another person's attitude and mood for the rest of the day -- and longer.

In trying to teach kindness and friendliness to our children we once again realize that they are not lumps of clay to be molded as we choose, but seedlings -- already who they are -- ready to blossom if watered and fertilized and exposed to a lot of sunlight.

Wherever your children fit on the scale of natural kindness and friendliness to others, there is always room for improvement on this important value of life.

_____________________

A friend of ours told me a story that I thought illustrated how parents can be kind and friendly to their own children and thus improve the rapport and feeling between them.

He came home from work one day, went into his "private" bathroom, and found little five-year-old Lulu, who loves trying to clean things, holding an empty cleanser can and standing over a bathtub that was overflowing with soap suds onto the carpet. He nearly reacted the way most parents would have: "Lulu! You used way too much soap! You're ruining the carpet! You should never try to do things like this without help!"

But he had some especially tender feelings in his heart that day for Lulu, and he said, "Oh, Lu, you were trying to clean Dad's tub, weren't you?"

Little Lulu looked down and said, "But Daddy, I used way too much soap!" It was a tender, warm moment that ended in a big hug.

If the father had said, "You used way too much soap," Lulu would have said, probably with some bitterness or some hurt, "But Daddy, I was just trying to clean your tub!" It would have been an unpleasant, separating moment. -- Richard

_____________________

Sometimes we don't need to tell our children what they did wrong. They already know. If we are kind and gentle with them and come to their defense, they will say what we would have said, and the moment will be warm and the feeling will be right.

General Guidelines

Have a "gentleness and politeness" pact." This can create a mood of particular kindness and warmth in your home during this "month." Get together as a family as you start this month and discuss how pleasant a place the world is when people are kind and gentle. Ask the children to join you in a "pact of gentleness and politeness" for the month. Explain that this will mean a commitment of two "do's" and two "don't's."

Do's:

·  Be polite -- say, "please," "thank you," and "excuse me," and look for chances to extend acts of courtesy.

·  Smile and ask, "How are you?" Expect a real answer to the question and listen to it.

Don'ts:

·  Don't yell or raise your voice or be critical of another.

·  Don't say anything critical -- neither of someone else nor of yourself. (No "I'm so stupid" or "I can't do anything right.")

Talk frequently about how things are going, how people feel, how hard it is to remember, and so on.

Decide where your child stands in his natural abilities to be kind and friendly. Know what your challenge is with each child. There is nothing quite like the joy one feels as a result of kindnesses to those who really need and appreciate it, whether it be a good deed for one little old man across the street or kindness on a more grander scale. However, kindness and friendliness are never as easy as they sound. Some children show their insecurities by pretending to be popular but putting other children down in ways that are outright cruel, while other shrinking violets and painfully shy children spend all their time wondering why no one likes them. Others are genuinely well adjusted and naturally look for ways to be kind and friendly to those around them. Try to determine where your child fits in his natural abilities to be kind and friendly so that you know where to begin.

Teach by example. Give your children clear and specific models for friendliness, kindness, and politeness. This value is one that cannot be overdone. During the month be extra friendly and polite to everyone, including your children. Use "please," "thank you," and "excuse me" profusely. Say nice things. Practice Emily Post etiquette in everything from opening doors and holding chairs for women to setting the table in a proper and special way. Even help children with their own jobs. Smile a lot.

Watch children respond. Once they get over the suspicion that you're putting them on or rehearsing for a part in some play, they will begin to mirror what they see in you.

Teach your child the value of relationships, not only with friends but with family. This will increase their appreciation of close "blood" relationships. During an evening meal every few months take the time to reinforce the importance of having friends and being a friend. Foster and nourish the idea that even though outside friends are very important, the best friends they will ever have should be their brother or sister (as well as his or her parents). Childhood friends will come and go, but family members will last throughout life. Those friendships should be nurtured and treated with care. You could even try a private game among family members. When one child is persecuting another or arguing or calling names in a way that he would not think of doing with a friend, have the persecuted child say the word friend, which is a code word to the other child to lay off and begin treating him a little more like a friend. Although it may not work at the moment, it will help to raise the awareness of what they're doing. (The same game works for parents who talk to their children in less than glowing terms, or vice versa.) You could even suggest that when a child is angry or being rude to another family member, an onlooking child has a responsibility to walk up to the child being attacked, put his arm around him, and say, "Don't talk that way to one of my best friends."

"Parenting-by-Objective"

Review the activities and stories that go along with this months value. Make sure everyone in your family understands the value so they can see how they can apply it in their own lives and situations.

Talk about the Monthly Value every morning and remind your family to look for opportunities to use the value throughout the day. They may also observe how others don't understand the value. Get your children to share their experience with the value each day at the dinner table or before you go to bed. Be sure to share your experience each day as well. It will help your children know that you are thinking about the value too.

Classical Music, Stress Management, and Johannes Brahms

Classical Music has a Calming Effect,

while stimulating the mind to exalted thoughts.

Dinner Topics for Monday

Here is a video of Brahms' Hungarian Dance no. 5

College Student Questions Obama's Funds

Female Obama Voter Questions President Obama's Funds while a Student

Where did the money come from?

Legitimate Questions This election has me very worried. So many things to consider. I voted for Obama. McCain was a Washington insider and we don’t need any more of them. I have changed my mind three times, since then. I watch all the news channels, jumping from one to another. I must say this drives my husband crazy. But, I feel if you view CNN, and Fox News, you might get some middle ground to work with. I started thinking "where does all the money come from for President Obama"? I have four daughters who went to College, and we were middle class, and money was tight. We (including my girls) worked hard and there were lots of student loans. I started looking into Obama's history for my own peace of mind. Around 1979 Obama started college at Occidental in California . He is very open about his two years at Occidental, he tried all kinds of drugs and was wasting his time but, even though he had a brilliant mind, did not apply himself to his studies. "Barry" (that was the name he used all his life) during this time had two roommates, Muhammad Hasan Chandoo and Wahid Hamid, both from Pakistan. During the summer of 1981, after his second year in college, he made a "round the world" trip. Stopping to see his mother in Indonesia , next Hyderabad in India , three weeks in Karachi , Pakistan where he stayed with his roommate's family, then off to Africa to visit his father's family. My question - Where did he get the money for this trip? Neither I, nor any one of my children would have had money for a trip like this when they were in college. When he came back he started school at Columbia University in New York. It is at this time he wants everyone to call him Barack - not Barry. Do you know what the tuition is at Columbia? It's not cheap to say the least. My girls asked me; where did he get money for tuition? Student Loans? Maybe it’s none of my business? After Columbia, he went to Chicago to work as a Community Organizer for $12,000 a year. Why Chicago? Why not New York? He was already living in New York. By "chance" he met Antoin "Tony" Rezko, born in Aleppo Syria, and a real estate developer in Chicago. Rezko has been convicted of fraud and bribery several times in the past and in 2011. Rezko was named "Entrepreneur of the Decade" by the Arab-American Business and Professional Association". About two years later, Obama entered Harvard Law School. Do you have any idea what tuition is for Harvard Law School? Where did he get the money for Law School? More student loans? His family has no money that’s for sure. After Law school, he went back to Chicago. Rezko offered him a job, which he turned down. But, he did take a job with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. Guess what I discovered? They represented "Rezar" which is Rezko's firm. Rezko was one of Obama's first major financial contributors when he ran for office in Chicago . In 2003, Rezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama which Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendelland claims was instrumental in providing Obama with "seed money" for his U.S. Senate race. In 2005, Obama purchased a new home in Kenwoood District of Chicago for $1.65 million (less than asking price). With ALL those Student Loans - Where did he get the money for this property? On the same day Rezko's wife, Rita, purchased the adjoining empty lot for full price. The LondonTimes reported that Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born Billionaire loaned Rezko $3.5 million three weeks before Obama's new home was purchased. Obama met Nadhmi Auchi many times with Rezko. Now, we have Obama running for President. Valerie Jarrett was Michele Obama's boss. She is now Obama's chief advisor and he does not make any major decisions without talking to her first. Where was Jarrett born? Ready for this? Shiraz, Iran! Am I going nuts or is there a pattern here? On May 10, 2008, The Times reported, Robert Malley advisor to Obama was "sacked" after the press found out he was having regular contacts with "Hamas", which controls Gaza and is connected with Iran. This past week, buried in the back part of the papers, Iraqi newspapers reported that during Obama's visit to Iraq, he asked their leaders to do nothing about the war until after he is elected, and he will "Take care of things". What the heck does that mean? Oh, and by the way, remember the college roommates that were born in Pakistan? They are in charge of all those "small" Internet campaign contribution for Obama. Where is that money coming from? The poor and middle class in this country? Or could it be from the Middle East? And the final bit of news. On September 7, 2009, The Washington Times posted a verbal slip that was made on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. Obama on talking about his religion said, "My Muslim faith". When questioned, "he made a mistake". Some mistake huh? All of the above information I got on line. If you would like to check it - Wikipedia, encyclopedia, Barack Obama; Tony Rezko; Valerie Jarrett: Daily Times - Obama visited Pakistan in 1981; The Washington Times - September 7, 2008; The Times May 10, 2008. Now the BIG question - If I found out all this information on my own, Why haven't all of our "intelligent" members of the press been reporting this? These are legitimate questions for our president.

President Obama Cancels National Day of Prayer

 Email from an outraged American:

How does this make YOU feel?

In
1952
President Truman
established one day a year as a
"National Day of Prayer."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In
1988
President Reagan
designated the First Thursday in
May of each year as the

National Day of Prayer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In June 2007
(then)Presidential Candidate Barack Obama
declared that the USA
"Was no longer a
Christian nation."
---------------------------------------------------------------
This year
President Obama
canceled the
21st annual National Day
of Prayer ceremony
at the White House under the ruse
of "not wanting to offend anyone"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUT.. on September 25, 2009
from 4 AM until 7 PM,
a National Day of Prayer
FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION
was held on Capitol Hill,
beside the White House.
There were over 50,000 Muslims

in D.C. that day.

HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS!

I Guess it Doesn't Matter
if "Christians “are offended by this event -
We obviously don't count as
"anyone" anymore.

The direction this country is headed
should strike fear in the heart of every Christian,
especially knowing that the Muslim religion

believes that if Christians cannot be
converted, they should be annihilated.

This is not a Rumor -
Go to the websiteTo confirm this info:

http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/