Politics and races

We just had our civic elections here on the weekend and we got a new mayor (which I voted on) but she only got 3 out of 8 councilmans that she wanted. The other guy who was running against her, (he was mayor for 3 terms) has said that he is going to fight every change she makes as he still controls the council with more of his "people". Should that be allowed? When a new mayor comes in or even a Premier or Prime Minister not be allowed to bring their own staff in or should the opposition still be able to block and new moves?

For example, the new mayor wants to bring new and better transit to all these urban sprawling communities that are popping up everywhere. The old mayor is chairman of Translink and he says we need more highways not skytrains and more buses. He continues on to say he will block her every move. How do we stop that from happening?

Politics and Members

Should a member use membership lists, email lists and ward/stake directories to ask people to vot them in the upcoming election whether it be civil, city council, provincial or federal? Is that taking the church membership and abusing it?

Double callings

We discussed this topic in ward council last week, come to think of it, it has been discussed many times, and we still are no nearer a final decision then we were a year ago. We were debating, for lack of a better term, whether or not the bishopric should issue 2nd and 3rd callings to "responsible" members to the work of the Lord gets completed or should they continue in seeing the work not done by members who choose to not do their callings for whatever reasons they have.

When we were living in good old Sask, at one point for nearly a year I was in the ward and stake primary presidency. Our stake at the time compassed the entire province and part of Manitoba. It meant a lot of travel. Hubby also had a ward and a stake calling at the same time as did a lot of members. With our membership numbers now so much greater then 20 years ago what is going on with the members that they either don't want callings, can't have callings, or choose to not to do their callings?

Another Primary President in another ward in our city called me last week desperately asking if their scouts could join up with our troop as they could not get 2 leaders called. Sad sad state of affairs.

Refuse no call

We hear constantly the phrase "refuse no call... every call comes from God" and yet we have members who constantly don't show up to do their callings regardles if it is as a teacher or anything. Is it not better to instead say sorry but I don't want that call for whatever reason can I have something else then to say yes and then not do it?

President HInkley's challenge

We have challenged our Primary (children and adults alike) in completing President Hinkley's challenge of reading the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. Is anyone else doing this?

Lost Lambs

I am feeling very strongly that our new presidency needs to focus a big part of our energies on our lost lambs. Anyone have any idea on how we can do this? Do you have any suggestions of things you tried and succeeded with?

Primary small vs large sizes

I was recently called to be Primary President. About 6 months ago the previous Primary Presidency decided to combine yonger and senior primary departments. Right after Sacrament ALL kids go their classes then all come together for the sharing/singing time then stay together for closing exercises. I don't understand their reasoning. Finding sharing time ideas to fit 3 year olds and yet at the same time keeping it interesting for 11 years doesn't seem to work. But that is just me. Has anyone else that has a small Primary (about 40 active kids but 110 in total on record) found that this has worked?

Plural Marraiges

I am just reading through the Work and the Glory again and am at the point where Joseph Smith has gotten the revelation about plural marriages and it made me think of when I first heard this concept after I had just been baptized. When I told someone I had joined the "Mormon" church they said oh Keith should be happy and I said why? And they said cause he could have more then one wife. I nearly left the church at that point cause at 22 years old I was not about to share my new man with someone else. But 27 years later I think what if the Prophet of today were to say that again? I mean it is just hypothetical as we have to live the laws of the land and that isn't one of them.. but hypothetically..... having more faith now then I did then... would I be able to do it? Would anyone else?

Prayer

I know that the Lord knows all about me. He knows my innermost thoughts, my personal feelings, everything, even the things I try and hide from Him. So here is my question... If He already knows before I say my prayers what I am going to pray for then why bother praying.. He could just read my mind and we'd be done with it.

Health and Words of Wisdom

As most of us know, if anything eaten that is not eaten sparingly is against our word of wisdom, how do we account for all the overweight people (members) out there? Are we lying when we are having our temple interviews when asked if we are following the words of wisdom? Is that too much like splitting hairs? Very few people have a medical diagnosis that would allow them to have a different reason to being overweight then just from overeating, so what about the rest of us?

In D&C 88:124 it starts off as saying "...cease to be idle..." does that mean couch potatoes are considered idle? Do we think that if we worked hard at our jobs all day that we can justify sitting around all night instead of working at our physical bodies to keep in shape? What constitutes ceasing to be idle?

Same Sex Marriage

According to today's issue of news in Canada.com it is getting debated heatedly in the house of common for same sex marriage to be accepted

www.canada.com/vancouver

There have been demonstrations from churches of all faiths as they demand the house of common to not allow such a bill to be passed as it would demoralize all that they stand for... traditional marraige between one man and one woman.

What do you think? Should it be allowed to be passed? Does it take away the constitutional rights of gay men and women?

Personal Revelation

Today in our Stake Conferance most of the talks revolved around personal revelation. Some spoke on how they know EVERY time when they have received a revelation; others spoke about maybe knowing at times that it might have been a revelation; and then others felt that the only time they felt they had received revelation was when the Prophets spoke.

There have been times in my life, when I was absolutely positive that influences and thoughts that I had came from direct personal revelation. These at times came while praying for something specific, other times they just came out of the blue when I was thinking about something completely different. But after today it made me think hmmm maybe some of those times it might not have been so much my own personal revelation from God but simply my own thoughts and my thinking the thoughts came from my Father in Heaven.

In the Bible Dictionary it gives this as the definition of revelation:

Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great tree. The effects of true faith in Jesus Christ is first, is the actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to the Lord. Second, it's a reception of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life and third, an assurance of personal salvation to come. These things involve individual and personal testimony, guidance, revelation, and spiritual knowledge. Where there are true faith there are miracles, visions dreams and healings, and all the gifts of God that He gives to His saints.

If I was to go with that definition then I would have to say that when I feel I have received revelation, as long as I am living as Christ would have me live, then it is personal revelation.

Pride goeth before the fall

Does anyone know where that fine line is between having pride in your work, in your appearance, in your work, in your home and being prideful?

In Proverbs 16:18 it states:

"Pride goeth before the destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of a humble spirit, then to divide the spoils with the proud."

I think we all know how destructive pride is when used in excess but where is that defining line of when it's ok to be proud and when it is not?

Health Care

Right now in BC if you have BC Medical it does not cost anything to go and see a doctor or specialist. You do have to pay however, if you choose to see any of the "elective" doctors such as chiropractors, podiatrists etc. Our government is talking about having a user fee for seeing regular family doctors. It would be one fee regardless of your income etc. They feel that if they implement this, it would eliminate all those that take up the physician's time and energy with just colds and flus etc that they can't help patients with in the first place. Other then just telling them to go home, take some Tylenol, drink lots of fluids and get rest. The income that it would generate would allow them to bring in more doctors and specialists from other countries.

Their hope is it will cut down on the waiting lists in the offices, doctors would have more time to see seriously ill patients and it would also cut down on the specialists time. On the opposite view, people here are concerned for the very low income families and seniors who would NOT go to see their doctor because of this fixed cost possibly causing more serious outcomes or even death. One polititian called it collateral damage. They suggested that this small number of percentage of people not going to see the doctor was so mininal it wasn't worth their concern.

Missonary Dinners

Our missionaries in this mission were just recently notified by their mission president that starting July 1st, dinners with members will only be accepted from 4-5 pm. From 5-7pm then have to tract and from 7-9 they have to teach. Because hubby doesn't get home until 5:30-6, and we have Elders here that will mean we will no longer be able to have the Elders here for dinner. Unless the rule of being in a home with a single sister has changed.

I asked the reasoning for this and they said that it is better for the missionaries to be out tracting during 5-7 as most people are home then and if they are at someone's house for dinner they lose out on that time. I said if someone came to my door "selling" something while I was having my dinner they would not be well received and I can't see most people not feeling the same way.

The mission president went on to say that if members wanted to still provide dinner for the missionaries that they could drop it off to their homes or the missionaries could come by and pick the meals or groceries up. I can't see this working but maybe they are seeing something I am missing. What do you think?

Welcome to this blog :)

I just wanted to welcome to you this blog!! This is oriented for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints but all are welcomed to join in. Our blog name is Charity Never Faileth. Can you tell that I work in Relief Society hehehehe. Hopefully things will pick up as soon as I figure out what I am doing.

Sally