What I know

I was planning a talk that I will be giving to doctors and other health care professionals who meet for lunch every month in Santa Barbara. I'm basically talking about nutritional supplements, which is my business. I don't believe in them; nevertheless, I recommend them daily for specific conditions. I find they work -- sometimes. Why don't I believe in them? Because I think everyone should get their nutrients from their diet, and I don't KNOW for sure in advance what they will do. I realize that I don't know ANYTHING about health, wellness, and those things that I'm supposed to be expert in. Most of what I learned in Medical School was wrong, often doing more harm to health than good. I had to learn everything I know about health on my own -- and I still cannot be sure of anything.

I began to question myself. What do I really know? I'm supposed to know this stuff, but I don't! Is there anything I know? Is there any truth that I could tell these health professionals, or is it all subjective interpretation? The foundation of the knowledge I use is "scientific research studies," which I know are often suspect, and sometimes fraudulent. When it comes to being a doctor, I stand with Socrates: "I only know that I know nothing!"

However, I do believe there is absolute truth. The knowledge I have received through the Holy Ghost is forever, never changing, always true, and true for everyone. In this context, there are a few things I am absolutely sure of.

As I exist, I know:

God Lives.

We are all children of God. Everyone.

We have always existed. No beginning.

Life is forever -- we cannot ever cease to exist. No end.

We are here because we are cast out of Heaven in order to learn and grow. Earth is a temporary stage of our existence.

We chose to come.

Before we came to Earth we were given options for the next stage of life. Our Father told us we would have to leave Heaven in order to get a body and learn good and evil because as yet, we were innocent. In order to come back with our new bodies and intelligence we would need someone among us who would leave willingly, suffer the vicissitudes of life, suffer the depths of hell, and die willingly. Jesus agreed to do this, and be the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Before we were born, before the Earth was even created, all of God's children were divided into two groups: those who believed Christ would save us, and those who didn't.

 

Those of the children of God who didn't believe rebelled, and refused to come to Earth because they couldn't put their trust in Him.

Only those who were believers are born into a mortal body.

It's all about Him.

I know that Jesus Christ did what He said He would do. It's already done. He suffered willingly for all of us.

I know that He died on the cross, and three days later was resurrected; everyone who was ever born will also be resurrected.

Only by following Him can we be "born again" and return to God, and receive all that God has.

Again, there will be two groups of people at the final judgment day: those who believe in Christ, and those who are judged by their works.

We are choosing our path every day.

Every person will give an accounting to God for his time on the Earth.

We are choosing through each little choice we make every day, what our Eternal path will be.

Those who follow Jesus Christ into the depths of humility, submitting their will to His will have Eternal Life, or continual growth, increase, joy, happiness, love, connection, glory, power, dominion, and so forth.

Those who choose to do what they want, will get exactly that -- and nothing more. They stay where they are forever; there is no increase.

Restoration of truth.

I know that Joseph Smith saw a vision of God and Jesus Christ.

Through him the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to preach the Gospel and administer the ordinances of salvation.

Only those who believe in Jesus Christ, receive the ordinances, and keep their covenants can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God, as are the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

 

God teaches the world through prophets today, as in all other times.

There is no end to God's word.

Though Socrates never knew absolute truth, this knowledge is now available to all. I have something he didn't -- truth through the gift of the Holy Ghost. These are the things I know. Everything else is still suspect.

Family

I was in the SLC airport yesterday, going to Los Angeles and as I got to the gate there was a family there with three little children. The father was talking to the attendant at the gate, "I'm sorry, sir, we have no stand-by seats..." The plane was boarding and the mother, with a baby in her arms and two little boys, 2 and 4, with their luggage started towards the gangplank. The dad was standing there, watching them go. She looked down at her boys and said, "Say goodbye to daddy!" They both ran back and gave their daddy a big hug, "I love you daddy!" He replied, "I'll see you in Shanghai." As he watched his family go down the ramp.

 

It was my good fortune to have the seat right next to them. The mom really had her hands full with her baby and all the luggage. The boys clinging to her as she tried to get organized. She with the baby and her four-year-old occupied the two seats on the other side of the aisle from me, her two-year-old was right next to me, across the aisle from his mom. She got everyone to buckle-up, telling her little boy, "I need you to be mommy's little helper and keep your belt on until the plane goes up in the air." He said, "Okay mommy." But had a hard time keeping still.

 

Throughout the two-hour trip the little boy went through the entire range of emotion. For a while I kept him busy drawing on my computer. But when the attendant said we were landing soon we had to "turn off all electronic devices..." and buckle again. I took the magazine from the seat pocket and showed him pictures, asking him what they were.. "a dog, another dog, a robot, a cat, a laser..." This worked until we landed in LA. The other passengers thanked me for keeping the child busy so he didn't cry the whole time. I wondered how she was going to manage a 14-hour flight to China!

 

Good, better, best

I was thinking... It is good to get in a plane and take care of yourself, not disturbing anyone. It's better to see a need and help out, but it would have been best to keep the family together. I might have given up my seat to have the father there with the family -- far better than just keeping one child occupied during the shorter leg of their journey.

 

Family

The family is the most important social unit in society. If we protect families, we protect our whole society. Our laws must do all we can to keep a family together. We must support primarily the family and secondarily the individual. We must acknowledge that without a strong family structure our children won't have the character to maintain peace in the world, and destruction is assured. Only in families can each child be taught to love and be unselfish. All other ways of teaching children make them selfish. Selfishness brings all forms of wickedness, evil and destruction. In one sense, all evil can be defined as, "I want." If people are self-centered, they don't consider the rights, wants, and needs of others. Wars, murders, lying, stealing, and hatred in any form is simply selfishness. Unselfishness, or love, must be taught, it isn't automatic. It all begins with the man.

 

Man

A man is the leader of the family in the same way Jesus is the head of the Church. Those in the Church are baptized as a covenant, binding themselves to him, promising to be true to Him always. He gives them commandments, but never forces His righteous will upon them. He loves His people. He nurtures them. He cares for them. He gives to them according to their wants. He sacrificed Himself for them, dying on the cross, suffering Eternal torment so they could have life without suffering. He allows them to stray, calling them back, offering forgiveness for anything and everything. This is the example of what a real man does for his family.

 

A man must be especially attentive to his wife. He must put the needs of his wife above his own. To a man, a woman is millions of times more important than all of his toys, money, houses, lands, businesses, and worldly possessions -- put together! He needs to treat her like she has that kind of value in order to keep her forever. She is neither to do his work, nor appease his hunger. She is to be protected like the heart in a body -- surrounded by the lungs in the middle of the chest with ribs for protection.

 

Woman

A great indicator of the wickedness of our society is the way women are treated. There are two fallacies that are taught to our children in school, at home, and all over the social structure. 1. Women are just like men, and 2. Women are objects like toys to play with, which we addressed above.

 

The truth is, men and women are different (as the French say, "Vive le difference!). We are not to treat a woman like a man. She doesn't go out and work for money, she needs to be in the home. She is the heart of the family. How she feels is how the family goes, just like the old saying from the South, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

 

As a wife, a woman gives herself to her husband. This is all he really wants, her heart. If she doesn't feel loved and cherished, or if she feels unsafe she will hold back. The importance of the covenant of marriage is that even when they don't feel like being married, they remain together because of the promise. This teaches unselfishness -- or love.

 

Those who become mothers nurture the children in love. A mother sacrifices for them. When they have a need she drops everything to care for them. She doesn't regard her own needs higher than theirs; even her most basic needs of eating and sleeping are sidelined in order to care for their needs. This is how she loves her children, and how the children feel loved -- and lovable.

 

Children

The children are the reason. Families exist to nurture children and provide an environment where they can grow and mature. This requires that they experience the best of life. In order to learn something a human being must experience it. We really never understand anything we don't actually experience. They must feel loved, be loved, and see their parents love each other. They must experience the vicissitudes of life in a safe environment where they can be comforted. These things cannot be done in day-care, classrooms, or any other way devised to raise children. Children without a loving family don't mature in ways that are essential to happiness. They may still grow up later, but only with great difficulty.

 

In one sense, the family raises the children to be independent. The beginning stage of maturity is the ability to take care of ones self. From there, some really advanced families help the children to be interdependent, bringing independent people together to do things none of them could do alone. This, of course, requires love, trust and unselfishness. It is upon this interdependence that whole societies flourish because of synergy: 1+1=10. Two people working together can do ten times what they collectively do as independent entities. Independent people only make a functional society.

 

Society

Society goes backwards when it begins to cater to individuals because they foster dependence. The lowest form of existence is dependence, one step up is independence, and the highest is interdependence. You can see this progression in the normal growth of children. As society values independence we lose the interdependence that makes us strong, free, and loving. I see our political system tearing down this structure on both sides. The "Republicans" are yelling for independence, and the "Democrats" are crying for dependence. Both are going backwards. There are very few voices for love and interdependence.

 

When children are taught to love through family relationships, they grow up to act as leavening in their sphere of influence. These are the "movers and shakers" that raise everyone around them to new heights. These trustworthy individuals use the talents of those around them to form organizations and businesses that succeed in amazing ways. With discernment they understand how each person can contribute, and where they need help. They bring people together in such a way that the talents of one will offset the weaknesses of another. They show and teach love and trust. Without the ability to get outside of themselves people don't become good leaders. Excellence in leadership is really a gift of love.

 

We need good families now more than ever. Our own government is pulling down the social fabric that binds families, leading to bondage and destruction. We need leaders who love, who do not seek their own, who give from their hearts, who bring others together to fight this insidious evil. The vicious cycle has begun: the more families are broken, the more society tears them down. Strong and loving leaders can hold back this downward spiral, but only as more people turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ, will it be reversed.

 

The Lord

Charity is the pure love of Christ. No matter what your family upbringing, you can have a Father who loves you, and will teach you to love. As people turn to Him, they become arrows in His quiver. They wield the sword of truth to defend virtue. They are the leavening that raises their whole society. They receive from the Holy Spirit the gifts that they need to do His work. He is the master Teacher and the ultimate Leader. He is the true and loving Father of all who will give His children all they need. Those who are willing to follow Him can be great fathers and mothers, raising children who become great leaders. Thus, they act as leavening to raise up a whole nation.

 

Don't expect others to effect these changes. It requires the the greatest efforts of all those who are willing. As David told his son Solomon, "Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee." (1 Chronicles 28:9) Turn to God in prayer. Ask Him how you can serve Him, and then do as he tells you. Who knows, you, or one of those you teach, may become a great leader that saves a whole generation!

The Gift

I juggle two families with 13 children, two jobs, one of which I have to run, aside from 35 nursing home patients and thousands of other patients that all want my attention from time to time, sometimes emergently. I am inundated every day with decisions to do things that require me to leave other things undone. Some are very hard choices. I need help with all these decisions!

Life goes on forever, and each of us is on a different road because of the choices we make. We cannot know anything we haven't yet experienced, and since our decisions are mostly new, we don't know were they will take us. Moreover, the God who gave us life also gave us the freedom to choose. Without freedom there is no life, all becomes the same lifeless lump. Life requires completely independent individuals making unconstrained decisions of their own free will and choice.

Choice

As I make these choices, I find expediency to be the most common motivator. Studies on the spending habits of people indicate that they don't weigh the risks and benefits of a decision, but rather decide on feelings. Con-men rely on this fact, working on the feelings of unsuspecting individuals to separate them from their money. In my profession I have seen so many unnecessary and damaging surgeries, medications, chemotherapy given under the guise of: "if you don't do what I say, you'll die!" It's a purely emotional decision.

We are making decisions every day by the hundreds, or thousands! How we spend our time, what we focus on, what we do from minute to minute determines our life. We cannot blame others for choices we make. Circumstances may push us in certain directions, and there are plenty of events that happen to us over which we have no control, but we always have choices.

The reason we use our feelings to make daily decisions is because we really don't know where they lead. We are limited by the fourth dimension, time, so we can only see the here-and-now, not the end of any road. We may have a vague understanding that a path leads in a certain direction, but we cannot be sure.

Wrong, is right.

The Scriptures are replete with stories of those who did the right thing, though it seems wrong. Lot's daughters got their father drunk and raped him. Joshua wiped-out whole cities, killing every man, woman, and child -- even the animals! Hosea married a prostitute who was chronically unfaithful to him. Nephi cut off Laban's head when he was drunk, and stole his records. Even Jesus was accused of being a drunk, blasphemy, and breaking the Sabbath. Are there any commandments left unbroken? Yet, all of these were the will of God.

Right, is wrong.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Those things that seem good to us often lead us to hell. Satan, the father of lies, said he would make everyone equal and bring everyone back to Heaven such that none would be lost. He would do this by taking away our ability to choose. This plan seemed so right that a third of our Father's children agreed with him and fought against Jesus to try to implement it. Today we fight the same battle every day. People look around and see inequality and demand "social justice" or equal outcomes. They promise, as Lucifer, equality for all such that none would be lost. Robin Hood seems so right, but is the devil himself!

The Holy Ghost

Since we are extremely limited in our knowledge, and we have to be free to choose, it would seem we need a helper to guide every decision we make. It would have to be a mentor that we choose to follow, not one that imposes in any way, because that would take away our freedom. This mentor would also have to know where our decisions would take us.

The Holy Ghost is an essential feature of being on the path to Eternal Life. Without this gift, we cannot know we are on the right path at any time. We don't know what to do at any fork in the road because we cannot see past the decision itself. On the other hand, God already knows the end of every path and every decision: "My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning." (Abraham 2:8) It would totally change everything to have a guide who knows exactly what will happen with every choice you make.

Gift development

As with any gift we are given in mortality the Gift of the Holy Ghost must be developed over time through patient, constant effort. Training, preparation, and practice, practice, practice are needed to bring out any gift. Even a "natural" in any sport must practice for about ten years before arriving at the top of his game. Tony Schwartz, in his book, The Power of Full Engagement, describes the "ten-year rule:" it takes four hours per day, every day, of focused practice for ten years to be the best at anything. This is true of artists, musicians, businessmen, and athletes. I suspect it would take a similar effort to develop the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Before we can have this Guide we need to prepare ourselves to receive Him. We first put our trust in Jesus Christ and believe that He can change us. Next we have to repent of our sins and be baptized to make a covenant with God so we can have a remission of sins "for he dwelleth not in unholy temples." (Mosiah 2:37) Next, we have hands laid on our heads by those who have the authority and are commanded to "receive the Holy Ghost."

After going through the steps of preparation we still need to seek the Gift, or practice. We can start by leaving where we are comfortable and going to Him. The Holy Spirit speaks in a still, small voice and will not be heard over the din of the world. Seeking His help through prayer and quiet meditation is essential. Also, when we understand that He works by recalling to our remembrance truths we have already learned, we would know that we have to seek truth in order to be inspired. Feasting on the words of Christ, the Teacher of all truth, becomes a foundation because, "the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

Each week as we take the Sacrament we renew our covenant to "always remember Him." As we remember Jesus Christ in our daily decision-making the Holy Ghost helps us to understand the decisions that He made in mortality that brought Him back to the Father. He is the only One to ever do this, and thus, we are able to "follow Him." In turn, we receive a remission of sins so the Holy Spirit can dwell with us always.

Without the constant guidance of the Holy Ghost there is no way to stay on the path to Eternal Life. However, when we take Him as our guide in every decision we can always be on the road to happiness. We may not see the end of the road, but we trust that He does, and follow His direction.

What an awesome gift! We are not left alone to wallow in fear! We don't have to guess at every decision! This is incredible! "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me! Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me!..." When Joseph Smith Jr. was asked what the difference between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other churches was he replied, "The gift of the Holy Ghost." I think EVERYONE should have this gift.

The End of Forever

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

                                              Robert Frost

"Eschatology" is the study of the end -- sometimes the end of everything, sometimes the end of an era that then becomes a beginning for a new age. Many pour over the Revelation of John in order to understand the Christian eschatology of what will happen in the end -- the end of this era, or the beginning of the "millennium," and then the end of the world, which is the beginning of "eternity." There is no end, only a change to another form.  Christian eschatology is also about the end of each of us as individuals.

Because there is no end, and "way leads on to way" it seems to me that every decision we make is forever. There is no way to go back, and there is no end. Each choice leads down a different road that goes on forever. When we decide to follow it we never come back, and we can't stop. 

No re-do's
As a young single man I dated many girls because I was looking to get married. One day as I was praying the Spirit of God whispered, "I want you to promise me that you will only marry in the Temple for Eternity." Without hesitation or reservation I made that promise. Soon thereafter I met a girl who wasn't a member of the Church, nor did she want to be. However, as we got to know each other she decided to come to church, took the missionary discussions, and was baptized. We began talking about marriage, but she had to be a member for a year before we could go to the temple. Out of expediency I broke my promise to the Lord, and we were married outside of the Temple.

That decision turned-out to make things hard for me. I had chosen an uphill, rocky road. I wanted to go back and do it over, to start afresh, to re-think my position on expediency. However, I could never go back; what's done is done and cannot be revoked.

No end
The other side of this is that there is no end to any of the roads, only forks. There is no way to stop because time marches on. Not choosing is also a choice because you automatically go on as if you are floating in a stream -- not swimming sends you downstream.

Some of those who refuse to swim are called "atheists." The foundation of atheist philosophy is their eschatology: death is the end, which changes everything -- life is to be enjoyed, pain and suffering eliminated, and death averted at all costs. The problem is: it isn't true. I am personally aware of the continuation of life beyond the grave, and that the choices we are making now will determine how we live hereafter; the death of the body is only a fork in the road. Life is forever.

Choices are forever

Thus, every single little choice we make now is eternal in more than one way. My choice to marry outside the Temple changes both my eternity and that of my family. My descendents are in a different place because of my choice. It affects my children, grandchildren and descendents down through the ages -- ad infinitum.

But the "big choices" such as marriage and children aren't the only eternal ones; every little choice leads in a direction that cannot be done over again. We are constantly inundated by choices. For example, this week I decided to stay home and work while my family goes to Utah. What far-reaching consequences this may have down the road is unknown to me. If I had chosen the opposite it would have put me on a different road. 

Being blind to eternity, I don't really know where all of my choices will lead me. Out of ignorance I may do things that lead to suffering down the road. Because I cannot fully understand the consequences of my decisions, I think there must be a way to change my path.

Christian eschatology

For individuals, the essence of Christianity is repentance, or change. Whether through ignorance or pride we all make choices that lead to destruction so our Lord provides a way, the only way, we can actually change. We are given the gift of repentance because Jesus Christ took care of the consequences for all of our bad choices. He can take us off the path that we are on that leads to misery, and put us on a path of life! 

One day after a great Family Home Evening we were going to bed and my wife casually said, "I filed for divorce." I would have thought she was kidding, but she doesn't joke around. We had had no fights or problems so I was very surprised. One-by-one all the dominoes fell, leaving me with nothing. I lost my wife, my children, the house I had built with my bare hands, my business. Then, my best friend died of cancer. I felt that my road came to an end. 

Then, through a series of strange events, I married Karyn, got nine more children, a home, a new business. My path is different. I'm no longer "unequally yoked." I'm now with people who also want to be on the path to Eternal Life. I have love, and I am loved. 

God has the power to put us on the straight and narrow path that leads to life as though we had made all the right choices, but He will never force us onto a road we don't want. The only requirement is to believe in Him and desire to change. When we ask for His help and change our ways we are forgiven of our bad choices and the final end of our existence is to live forever: Immortality and Eternal Life.

Thus, "The Road Not Taken" is always available to us through our willingness to: 1) believe that Jesus Christ can change us, 2) repent of our bad choices (confess and forsake them), 3) be baptized, and 4) receive the Holy Ghost, "...And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life..." (2 Nephi 31:18) Your end can be good in spite of choosing "the one less traveled by." I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christian eschatology!!!