Warning: this will be LONG!
Recently several things have moved me. I don't know that any of them will touch you in the same way--if at all--they did me, but I thought I'd like to share anyway.
The first was a talk that I just happened to catch on the radio, a re-broadcast of a speech by Ezra Taft Benson in the year 1977. I was in the car, delivering some things for church, when I normally would have been in church. Not that I advocate missing meetings, but I would have missed this otherwise, so I'm glad I was where I was when I was (got that?). I can't explain exactly why, but I was floored by the things I heard. Maybe you will be, too. Here's
the link so you can listen to it yourself, if interested. And here are a few passages which really stayed with me. The fact that these are issues he felt were timely
30 years ago really blew me away. What that must mean now!
Americans have always been committed to taking care of the poor, aged, and unemployed. We have done this on the basis of Judaic-Christian beliefs and humanitarian principles. It has been fundamental to our way of life that charity must be voluntary if it is to be charity. Compulsory benevolence is not charity. Today's socialists--who call themselves egalitarians--are using the federal government to redistribute wealth in our society, not as a matter of voluntary charity, but as a so-called matter of right. One HEW official said recently, "In this country, welfare is no longer charity, it is a right. More and more Americans feel that their government owes them something" (U.S. News and World Report, April 21, 1975, p. 49). President Grover Cleveland said--and we believe as a people--that though the people support the government the government should not support the people...
"When you accept food stamps, you accept an unearned handout that other working people are paying for. You do not earn food stamps or welfare payments. Every individual who accepts an unearned government gratuity is just as morally culpable as the individual who takes a handout from taxpayers' money to pay his heat, electricity, or rent. There is no difference in principle between them. You did not come to this University to become a welfare recipient. You came here to be a light to the world, a light to society--to save society and to help to save this nation, the Lord's base of operations in these latter days, to ameliorate man's social conditions. You are not here to be a parasite or freeloader. The price you pay for "something for nothing" may be more than you can afford. Do not rationalize your acceptance of government gratuities by saying, "I am a contributing taxpayer too." By doing this you contribute to the problem which is leading this nation to financial insolvency...
"In opening my remarks to you, beloved youth of the Church, I attempted to share with you a vision of your eternal possibilities. In closing my remarks, I share with you my hope for you: I hope that you learn through your struggles the joy of achievement.
I hope that you recognize in the gospel of Jesus Christ a solution to our problems, temporal and spiritual.
I hope that you marry well, live together in love, rear a family in righteousness, and have joy and rejoicing in your posterity.
I hope that you follow the example and counsel of him whom the Lord has appointed as prophet, seer, and revelator.
I hope that you learn the joy of work, the ability to postpone wants, and the economic independence not to be a slave to any man.
I hope that you keep yourselves clean morally and spiritually, that your confidence will wax strong in the presence of God, as the scriptures say, and the Holy Ghost will be your constant companion (see D&C 121:45–46).
I hope that you will be united in philosophy, purpose, and action to the laws of the celestial kingdom.
I pray God's choicest blessings on you, my beloved brethren and sisters. May I say to you that there isn't anything in this world that's right that the leadership of this Church wouldn't do for the youth of the Church; and so I hope and pray that you realize the hope of those who love you and serve you and the possibilities of your potential as sons and daughters of God. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
I could not wish or hope anything different for my own children. I was really touched, and felt compelled to be...not so much different...but more of who I really am.
I also enjoyed and was moved by this movie:
It's a little on the a) far-fetched, b)preachy, and c)confusing side, but it is very well-intentioned. Not that that excuses poor movie making. Still, "Bella" is worth a dollar at Red-box, and 90 minutes on your comfiest couch (or mine. Our red couch is always open for movie-watching!).
What I really appreciated, though, was the story of the man in the movie. His name is Eduardo Verastegui, often called "the Mexican Brad Pitt." He is beautiful. He is also someone who wanted to be a better person than he was.
Whether you like his personal choices or not, you can't help but be moved by somebody who felt compelled to change himself, and actually did something about it. At least I couldn't.
I was also moved by something else that happened a while ago: Joshua's school performance entitled, "American Heroes."
The day started with more trauma than necessary when Joshua couldn't find clean clothes to wear. His wise mother had encouraged him (to the point of nagging, actually) to lay the required outfit--white shirt, dark jean pants--out the night before, just to make sure he had everything he needed. For whatever reason inherent to all children, he ignored his wise mother, and found everything he needed the next morning either wet in the washing machine, or truly dirty on his closet floor. Tears and trauma, tears and trauma...
I laid out Joshua's options to him: he could a) wear dirty clothes, b) wear wet clothes, c) wear wet and dirty clothes, d) wear clothes that were not the requested outfit, or e) use his own money and purchase new clothes. Option "
e" won out, so off to Wal-Mart we went, and $15 later he looked like everyone else.
The show was very well done, and I have to hand it to Joshua's genius of a teacher for achieving such excellence. I was so impressed. It was well-rehearsed, well-planned, and well-performed. Here's just a little view of what they did:
An emotional moment for me came before the show even started. Awesome Uncle Colin walked into my house just before it was time to walk down to the school for Joshua's show. Joshua had been so excited to invite Colin because they were going to be singing the representative songs of the military. Colin took it one step further than just showing up, and showed up wearing his Air Force uniform, starched, shiny, and spiffy! It truly brought tears to my eyes, partly because I'm so proud of Colin and his life choices, and partly because he did so much for Joshua by showing up and showing well.
This is Colin standing when the music to "Off we go into the wild blue yonder..." began playing. He stood stiff and proud, and surprised everyone with his "war-cry" of, "Give 'em the gun! Give 'em the gun!" somewhere in the middle of the song.
Uncle Colin, you are pretty super! So is super Farmor for coming and supporting Joshua in his performance. What a well-loved boy.
Yes, these are some of the forces that move my world. Rock it, is more like it!
