A Time to Speak

While I was sitting in my institute class this evening, the prompting came to write this blog post. The topic of discussion for the day was on not judging and not spreading gossip. These are important topics, essential to the Christian life. However, I was disturbed at the turn that the lesson took.

The teacher spent a good portion of the lesson on how we shouldn't say bad things about someone even if those things are true. One guy in the class raised his hand and proposed an excellent hypothetical that bears discussion.

You know that someone "has a morality problem". [My classmate didn't elaborate. I'm assuming from the tenor of the discussion that what he meant to say was that the individual had pressured a woman he dated into breaking the law of chastity.] Your sister or friend starts dating him. Shouldn't you tell her what you know so that she can be aware and protect herself?

The teacher gave lip service to the notion that you should go by the Spirit in deciding what to say. However, she spent the next several minutes talking about how if we share negative information, even if it's true, that it paints a label on someone and prevents him or her from changing. While she didn't come right out and say it, the impression that I was left with was that making it easier for a sinner to avoid embarrassment in the repentance process (assuming they even choose to repent) outweighed protecting the innocent potential victims. I'm sure that isn't what she meant, but it disturbed me nonetheless.

I had an experience on my mission where I had an emotionally and verbally abusive companion. At first, I was reluctant to bring it to the attention of my leaders, because I had had it drilled into me in missionary prep and in the MTC that there's a reason for every companion, you shouldn't complain about them, and if you're having trouble, you should just pray for more charity. I let this go on for several weeks before I told my mission president. He transfered me right away and my companion was sent home a few weeks later.

Part of me I guess believed that since mission presidents are inspired in the setting of companionships, that they know everything there is to know about a situation. Several months later, I was discussing the situation again with my mission president (because I was still distressed over it), and he told me that if he had known what was going on sooner, he would have transferred me immediately. I realized that if we don't volunteer the information we have, then people with the power to do something won't be aware that something needs doing.

I highly doubt that I was this companion's first victim. If one of them had spoken out, I might have been spared the pain I went through. I believe that by speaking out, I spared someone else down the line.

One scripture that speaks to this topic is found in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven...A time to keep silence and a time to speak." When deciding whether to share negative but true information, I think there are some factors that need to be considered.

First, why are you sharing it? If it's to protect someone, that is fine. If it's because you enjoy passing along juicy tidbits, that's not fine.
Second, who are you sharing it with? Are you telling everyone, or just the people who need to know?
Third, are you violating any confidences by sharing the information? This can get problematic, for example if a lawyer learns something from a client, or the bishop hears something in confession.

If you can pass this test, then it sounds like it's a time to speak. Even Jesus, the perfect embodiment of charity, had some not so positive things to say about some people who were behaving harmfully. He was motivated by love and concern, both for the sinners and the victims. We should feel confident in following His example.

Around the Bloggernacle - Volume 2

I've been busy lately between job hunting and filling out another round of law school applications (more on that later), and so I haven't taken the time to write a blog post in a while. Here's a list of some of the posts on other blogs that have caught my attention lately.

Beginnings New has a post on the YW Lesson 3-8 "Eternal Families" that provides a fresh perspective on how sensitive an issue this can be for youth from part-member or less-active families.

Times and Seasons has a post about Nate Oman's recently written paper about LDS church courts in the 19th century.

By Common Consent has a post about experiences singing solos in church. I posted a comment on one of my more spiritual singing experiences. I have several funnier or more embarrassing experiences as well that I didn't post in the comments, due to length. So, here's my most embarrassing:

• When I was on my mission (why is it that so many good church related stories start like that?), the day of the ward Christmas party, the ward mission leader called me in a panic. The soprano soloist for the party had a last-minute emergency and had to back out. He remembered me mentioning that I sang in the opera in college, and he implored me to fill in that evening. I had a really bad cold and could barely talk, but I said yes anyway. My companion and I headed over to the church so that I could practice. I was supposed to sing The First Noel, and since I couldn't get an accompanist last-minute, I needed to sing a capella. While rehearsing, I was able to sing just fine, as if the cold was gone. When the time came for me to sing, I got through the first half with no problem. Something happened in the middle, and my voice went all haywire. I finished the song, but it wasn't pretty. I sat down, embarrassed, hoping that by the end of the party, everyone would have forgotten. Afterward, the bishop's wife, who didn't know about my singing experience and training, patted me on the back and complimented me on my bravery for getting up in front of everyone to sing.
  

I hope you all are having a great week! Check back on Tuesday or Wednesday for a more substantive post. (Now that I've put it on the internet for all to see, I'm going to actually have to follow through and do it.)

Law School Applications- Round 2.0

On Friday, I sent in my first batch of law school applications for the fall semester. I had to cut the list down considerably because many of the schools were not even willing to consider someone who had previously attended law school. To make up for that, I'm going to probably apply to a few more schools as a backup later this week. I've already applied to 5 schools, and I'm going to shoot for 4-5 more to be on the safe side. I'm fighting an uphill battle here, but I'm confident that I'll get in somewhere.

The job search is going slowly, but I had an interview last week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll do a more spiritual post in a few days when I have some more time.

The Passing of President Hinckley

Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away in his home this evening. An official statement can be read here.

I'm not sure what to add. Several other blogs in the Bloggernacle are already discussing his passing. I was a new convert when President Hunter died, and I was also a teenager who didn't pay too much attention to current events. As a result, this will really be my first experience with prophetic succession.

There are two themes that stick out to me when I think about President Hinckley's ministry. First, he was a big promoter of extending the blessings of the temple to everyone. He embarked on a program of unprecedented temple building. I remember when the small temples were announced, and it's just amazing how fast things have happened. The second theme that sticks out to me is education. President Hinckley championed the Perpetual Education Fund, making it possible for many people in developing countries to gain the blessings of education. Additionally, he has been insistent that everyone should gain all the education that they can.

Godspeed, President Hinckley! May you rest in peace.

Around the Bloggernacle

I've had the flu this week, so I don't have the energy for a proper post. This is the first in a series called "Around the Bloggernacle". I'll link to posts I've found interesting recently.

First, Exponent II has a great post on seasonal depression, entitled S.A.D.ness 2008.
Times and Seasons has a post on Lesson 1 in the Joseph Smith manual, entitled Teaching the very familiar.
The Waters of Mormon has a post, called On Eating Meat, that started out being about reducing meat consumption, and the comments have turned toward vegetarianism.
And, on the lighter side, By Common Consent has a post calling for limericks.

Have a great week!

New LDS Blogs

Dave, over at Dave's Mormon Inquiry, has posted a list of newer LDS blogs. I'm excited that The Posts of My House has made the list. Thank you to all of my current readers, and welcome to all of you who click on over from there.

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! This post is a few days later than I had planned, but here goes. At this time of year, many people make resolutions for self-improvement. I usually make two or three, which I manage to keep for about a month in a good year. I was a bit more ambitious this year, and I made eight resolutions for ’08.

There are not many scriptures that focus on the childhood and youth of Jesus Christ, but there is a great one in the book of Luke that I find instructive at this time of year. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52) It shows four distinct areas in which He developed. Since Christ is our example and we are to strive to be like Him, I have chosen this scripture as the framework for my resolutions this year. I have grouped them into four categories.

I. Wisdom- I have defined this broadly to include not only wisdom itself, but all pursuits of the mind. I have three goals in this category.
1. I resolve to return to law school in the fall. When I first wrote this goal, I made it considerably squishier, something like "I resolve to do what I can to return to law school in the fall," but I decided that I was through with being squishy on this one. I recognize that there are parts of this resolution that are out of my control, but I'm going to exercise faith on this one. I firmly believe that I am on the right career path, so I'm going to do my part and let the Lord do His.
2. I resolve to read at least one book per month. It has been a long time since I have taken the time to read a book for fun, as opposed to for a class. I've enjoyed some of the books I've read for class, but there's something different about picking up a book to read simply because I want to. I do a considerable amount of reading for pleasure anyway, between blogs and news articles and other stuff online, but I can't help but feel that I've been missing something by not reading books.
I've already completed January's installment of this resolution. Just yesterday, I finished reading My Grandfather's Son, the autobiography of Clarence Thomas. I found all the hardships he had to overcome to get where he is to be inspiring. My law school woes don't seem so bad anymore. Regardless of what you think of his court opinions, I recommend the book highly.
3. I resolve to write at least one blog entry per week. Well, I've managed it for this week. You'll all know whether or not I end up keeping this one.

II. Stature- I can't do anything about actually increasing my stature; I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I've reached my full, impressive height of 5'4". I'm using this to refer to physical goals. I only have one in this category.
1. I resolve to exercise for 20 minutes per day, six days per week. I have made more ambitious goals about exercise in years past, but I keep breaking them, so I decided to set one I might keep. I've already broken this, so I've decided that it starts tomorrow, the first full week of the year. I used to be in really good shape- I was on the swim team in high school and in the ROTC in college. On and after my mission, I got out of the habit of exercise, and it's really hard to get back in. I'm not overweight, so when I mention to people that I need to start working out again, they are dismissive. I'm not doing it for weight, I'm doing it for health. I feel better when I exercise. Also, heart disease runs in my family, and I want to do everything I can to spare myself from it.

III. Favor with God- This one seems fairly straightforward. I'm using this for goals related to my spiritual life. I have two in this category.
1. I resolve to meditate for 20 minutes per day. The meditation that I do/have done in the past isn't really like a lot of Eastern meditation of which I'm aware. I took a meditation class in college, and it was taught by a Jesuit priest. I found the class to be extremely valuable. We met each morning and meditated as a group. My mind tends to race and I'm often easily distracted. I used the meditation time to just let my mind run with whatever was concerning me, and I found that by just sitting quietly and thinking, I was able to identify and solve my problems. I slept better and had better communion with the Holy Spirit. I've fallen out of this habit and I want to get back into it.
2. I resolve to have at least 20 minutes of quality gospel study each day. In years past, I've set goals to read the standard works during the year. Those goals have been valuable, but I feel that I have sacrificed quality for quantity. This year, I have no set program. I will study what needs to be studied at a given time. I'm hoping that by freeing myself from a schedule, I'll get more out of it.

IV. Favor with man- I've made this a broad category that includes social and financial. I have two goals in this category.
1. I resolve to go on at least three social outings per month. I've kind of let my social life stagnate, and I really need to get out more. I'm defining social outing broadly. It isn't just dates, although a date would certainly qualify.
2. I resolve to find a job in the legal field that will be sufficient to pay my bills. My current job is in the medical/social services field, and it is sucking me dry emotionally. It also doesn't pay me enough to avoid the ugly trap of credit card debt. (And I don't live extravagantly, either.) I have a recruiter helping me out. I'm looking for a paralegal position somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. I know the jobs are out there, I just need to find one.

I love the start of a new year because it gives me an extra incentive to start fresh and improve myself. What are some of your resolutions? Do you find yourself making the same ones over and over again, or do you make different ones each year?

Personal Update, and an Admonition to Blog!

First, I would like to joyously announce that as of Thursday, I have successfully completed a paralegal program! This is huge for me because it's the first ray of sunshine I've had in my path toward the bar. (The law kind, not the alcohol kind.) I'm now looking for a job in a law firm, so that I can quit my current dismal job. If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to go back to law school in the fall. Thank you to those of you who have kept me in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate it.

I've been blogging now for a little over a year, but it's been sporadic. I'll go through periods where I'll be writing a lot, and I'll go through periods where I'll just read what other people have written. There's been talk around the Bloggernacle about whether the leadership of the church reads our blogs. Elder Ballard, in a talk given at the graduation for BYU-Hawaii, confirmed that they do. Students were admonished to start blogging about the church, because the conversation will happen whether or not we participate in it, and our voices need to be heard.

I would like to give a shout-out to Bookslinger. He's on a quest to flood the Earth with the Book of Mormon, and his blog was referenced in Elder Ballard's remarks. Keep up the awesome work!

I don't have much new to add. This talk is being discussed on several of the larger blogs in the 'nacle. It has renewed me with a desire to publish more often. I'm going to remember the theme scripture I chose for this blog, and I'm going to talk about the gospel throughout the day, and write it on The Posts of My House!

Give a Water Buffalo for Christmas

Janet over at Feminist Mormon Housewives has organized a donation drive for Heifer International. The Bloggernacle is teaming up to raise funds to help. The funds will be used to purchase livestock, which will be given to communities and individuals in need.

Wikipedia's entry on Heifer International reads:

Animals such as goats, water buffalo and camels are “seven M” animals: they provide meat, milk, muscle, manure, money, materials and motivation. Once its immediate needs have been met, a family is free to sell any excess at market. Heifer International provides a breeding animal along with the gift animal so that it can produce offspring. Participating families are required to “pass on the gift”, that is: they must give at least one of the female offspring to a neighbor who has undergone Heifer’s training. In time, that neighbor will pass along one of the offspring of its animal, and so on.

We're trying to raise $1,000 for the "Milk Menagerie". If you want to participate, you can join Team Bloggernacle by clicking here.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I've decided to do a gratitude post, because I have so much to be thankful for. I was pondering on one of my favorite scriptures, found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

A lot of times it's easy to give thanks for the things we enjoy, but it's more difficult to give thanks for our trials. In Corrie Ten Boom's book The Hiding Place, Corrie and her sister were in a concentration camp, and they were living in a flea-infested barracks. Corrie was complaining about this, but her sister reminded her that we should be grateful for everything. Corrie decided that she was going to thank God for the fleas. What she didn't find out until later is that because of the fleas, the guards left the barracks alone, leaving them free to hold Bible study groups without interference.

In the spirit of Thessalonians and The Hiding Place, I'm going to list some things I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for my extremely stressful job caring for developmentally disabled individuals, because it is helping me gain patience and charity.

I'm thankful that I had a chance to step back from law school and experience other things. This has helped me to know that law is really what I want to do, not just some default I picked because I can't do other things.

I'm thankful that my experience of being treated unjustly by my law school has given me compassion for others who have experienced injustice, and a greater desire to help them.

I'm also thankful for the traditional things that people are thankful for. I have a wonderful family, food on the table, a roof over my head, gas in my car, freedom to do as I please, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed indeed.

What are you thankful for?