25 Random SaintsandPatriot Facts

In the spirit of the current Facebook meme of publishing 25 "random" facts about oneself:

1) Mormons make really good public servants because we can keep secrets and always bring jello.
2) Mormons make really bad coffee, mostly because we don't like to make it. Postum on the otherhand...somebody get Starbucks on the phone, we may have the solution to their slow down.
3) When we say "when I was overseas/down south, back east/out of the country for two years" I mean my mission. You're supposed to know that and ask me more about it.
4) All Mormons play basketball. It's in the Doctrine and Covenants somewhere.
5) All Mormons dance and play the piano (see rule above).
6) Yes all these kids are mine, and yes they were all "planned" whatever that means.
7) Military wards are like regular wards except it's ok not to know anybody's name because you either just moved in or they did.
8) Mormon cops just love it when you use your temple recommend to get out of a ticket (I have this on good source).
9) We listen to little streams. Give.
10) We all don't go to BYU or love the Jazz. Many of us will never talk to you again if you make that assumption.
11) We single-handedly kept the SUV market going a good 7 years after its prime.
12) Mocking Mormon celebrities is encouraged, mocking Mormon leaders will get you kicked off our friends list.
13) Porter Rockwell was right.
14) The Tricare happiness continuum swings up sharply after your second kid and a quick calculation of what copays would run you for perscriptions alone.
15) Mormons do make excelent desginated drivers, but lousy liars so consider that next time you ask us to drive.
16) Yes I am calling home again, and yes it's to the same/only wife.
17) Odds are I do have a cousin in UT but no I don't know an Osmond.
18) "Hey do you know (insert random Mormon you knew in high school)?" really does sound as dumb as it sounds unless we went to high school together in which case yes I did.
19) When we say we have church for three hours on Sunday we're not including commercials because there are no commercials to TIVO through.
20) We marry early for the same reason everyone gets married. For the attention.
21) Yes we know Harry Reid is a Mormon and a Democrat. They even let him speak at BYU...one time.
22) We don't wear "magic" underwear and it really does sound that stupid when you ask about it.
23) It's not "Joe Smith" or "that gold book" the same way it's not "Marty Luther" or "the bible thingy."
24) We do have more grain in our crawl space than most African nations. Not sounding so stupid now is it?
25) We know where we came from, why we're here, and where we're going. We also know we're going to have a good time while we're at it.

Hanks' Un-Apology

Tom Hanks has a quick publicist who probably had the same reaction my seminary class did when they found out Woody put his Andy-tagged boot in his mouth "NO WAY!"
Way. Here is his well coached (and I'm sure PR proofed) "retraction:"
"Last week, I labeled members of the Mormon church who supported California’s Proposition 8 as “un-American.” I believe Proposition 8 is counter to the promise of our Constitution; it is codified discrimination. But everyone has a right to vote their conscience – nothing could be more American. To say members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who contributed to Proposition 8 are “un-American” creates more division when the time calls for respectful disagreement. No one should use “un- American” lightly or in haste. I did. I should not have.

Sincerely,
Tom Hanks.

So you won't find "sorry" or "misjudged" or "wasn't quite thinking straight" in there, so by my marks it's a qualified statement of clarification more than an apology. "I should not have" is simply not going to cut it for me--it indicates neither remorse nor humble acceptance of error. It may placate some, but I'm going to chalk this one up as "scoffing" in the "attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers" (1 Nephi 8:27-28). I'm glad he said something, but it's what he didn't say that shows what he really thinks.

Hope and New Starts

The best thing about clean starts is they are psychologically free from the baggage that might have otherwise encumbered how we think about the future. As I listened to Pres. Obama's inaugural speech this morning I felt the collective hope that he has for our nation in light of the current challenges we face. I think he genuinely wants what every president before him has wanted, a shot at making things work...his way. From what I've seen so far, his way includes persuasion, it includes consensus building, and it includes challenging people to do things they have not done before, perhaps in ways that have not been done before. He is my president, and I wholeheartedly support him in his efforts.

Pres. Obama does have challenges before him though, political and otherwise. I think the principle challenge he will face is to change the way many MANY of his supporters view the government. Whatever time he spends managing expectations with those who think big government spending and quasi-accountable leadership is going to solve the same problems it created will be time well spent. I am reminded of an interesting quote about friends and choices "You start to lose friends the minute you have to make choices." Until now the choices Pres. Obama has had to make are incomprehensibly minute compared to the choices he faces in the next four years. I hope, and I mean that in every sense of the word, that our "rock star" President, has some rocks of his own, that he is prepared to steel his back, open his ears, and use his highly effective rhetoric to help America, and Americans turn inward and ask "what can I do differently that will help America?" Repentance, a turning away from what has ailed us, and turning towards that which blesses and secures is the way ahead. That Barrack Obama can get us turning inward is the audacity of my hope.

Forrest Runs His Mouth on Un-American Mormons

Tom Hanks must have gotten some meth in his box of chocolates. The actor, film maker, and producer won't likely be invited to remake Mr. Kruger's Christmas or teach Constitutional Law anytime soon based on his latest display of anti-Mormon blather/ignorance:

“The truth is this takes place in Utah, the truth is these people are some bizarre offshoot of the Mormon Church, and the truth is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen,” he told Tarts. “There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American, and I am one of them. I do not like to see any discrimination codified on any piece of paper, any of the 50 states in America, but here's what happens now. A little bit of light can be shed, and people can see who's responsible, and that can motivate the next go around of our self correcting Constitution, and hopefully we can move forward instead of backwards. So let's have faith in not only the American, but Californian, constitutional process.”

The truth actually isn't that the "a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen." The truth is a lot of Californians, and a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to a lot of different organizations in order to participate in the American political process.

La Shawn Barber brings up a great point in his recent blog that while 70% of blacks voted for Prop-8 Hanks seems to have withheld his "un-American" status from them.
Probably a smart move Forrest.

Did Tom actually call Mormons "Un-American?" Not really, but I got the picture. I'm not sure what he actually was hoping to get across with this nonsense. Perhaps pandering to his Hollywood crowd (of course tossing a wink to Mel Gibson "you know what I'm talking about Mel") but c'mon. He's making money hand over fist on a dramatization of modern polygamy (he's a producer of Big Love on HBO) and ignorance sells. You know what doesn't sell for me though? Half baked civics lessons and "facts" celebrities regurgitate from PerezHilton. Tom, get yourself a Dr. Pepper and book a TransPacific flight on FedEx. Wilson would be ashamed.

Give Said the Little Stream--Mormon's Give it Up For Charity

I've heard and read quite a bit the last few weeks about how we're starting 2009 under a cloud blah blah blah. I just don't see it that way. Sure the economy could be better, we've got critical infrastructure older than McCain and a President elect who's biggest pressure decision was to put Sen. Clinton out of her misery or let her implode (he chose putting her out of her misery by the way). My point is SaintsandPatrtiots have never had more to be grateful for, or more reason to be optimistic. There are HUGE challenges all around us, in our homes, in our units, in our communities, and yes, especially in our nation. But we're given opposition "in all things" in order to grow--and I think the recent hullabaloo over Proposition 8 and the flack the church (and members in CA) took are opportunities to distinguish ourselves from the pack, and be seen and heard by the elect.
Two recent stories have gone, and will go underreported, even among LDS communities. First, the Economist (best source of news in print by the way) reported on the robustness of the economy in UT, compared to the rest of the west. Mormons work really hard, and value education, and it's getting noticed. Who wouldn't want to be associated with that?
Second, a recent Oxford study published a great report on how Mormon's give the most money to charity (see chart). The study suggest we give both at church and to other charities because of our structured (tithing) and unstructured (concern for others). Who wouldn't want to be associated with that?
People ask a lot of introspective questions around New Years. Be aware of this, and pay special attention to the Spirit as you interact with others you think may be looking for answers as to "what it all means." Don't give into the doom and gloom, don't even give it the air time in your mind or speech that it gets everywhere else. People will notice, and the opportunity will come to talk about how you know what you know, and why you live what you live.

A Thought on Success

One of my favorite quotes from George Washington has to do with industry: "It's wonderful what we can do if we're always doing." I finished something last night, something I've been working on for almost four years--law school. As I drove home from the law school I was impressed to consider the amount of sacrifice those around me, especially my wife and kids have committed to helping me accomplish my goal. Then the GW quote sprung to my mind--"if we're always doing." The work of the kingdom, and of any worthwhile endeavor moves forward on the power of sacrifice, motivation, and as I've most recently discovered, tailored attention in the form of spiritual faith. We really can do all things of which we are commanded, if we'll make the decision to forgo those things that don't really help us get there. As I was struggling to put the finishing touches on a few papers and complete some work projects I mentioned how busy I was to a friend and he, meaning well, suggested I not watch so much TV. I haven't followed a show in four years, no American Idol, no Dancing with the Stars, no Lost, none of it. I don't share this to brag, I share it to inspire. If I can knock out law school while working full-time, teaching seminary, and traveling 100K miles and 60 nights a year you too can accomplish those things of greatest worth in your life!

Mumbai and the Last Days

Ok, not literally the last days because we all know there is a lot of work to be done before the REAL last days are upon us, but I cannot but help feel an unfettered rage well up inside me over the recent attack in Mumbai. As I reflected on how much I appreciate my own safety and that of my family, it occured to me that much of what is happening in the war on terror we have seen in our hemisphere, it was just a couple of thousand years ago in the closing chapters of the Book of Mormon. Mormon recounts the scene for us in Mormon 4:11-14:
11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they ^adelighted in the shedding of blood continually.

12 And there never had been so great ^awickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people.

13 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and this because their ^anumber did exceed the number of the Nephites.

14 And they did also march forward against the city Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as ^asacrifices unto their idol gods.

The press in the US and UK was pretty merciful in describing the scene of last weeks attack. The Israeli and Indian press was not as reportedly most of the bodies appeared to have been tortured. What happened in India can happen anywhere in world, and it takes rough and ready men (and sometimes women) to do the deeds necessary to keep fanatics like this at an arms distance. So what's the answer? For those of you in uniform--keep up the good work. For those of you who have sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents or grandparents in uniform--support them with all you've got. We need to pray for strength, wisdom, and even foreknowledge (intel dumps from the Highest level clearance there is ...the Holy Ghost) to ensure we're at our best when our time comes to fight tyranny and these abominations where ever we find them.

St. Patriot