"Man Down," "Semper Fi?"

The United States Marine Corps has a most noble creed to live by. The latin "Semper Fidelis" or more the commonly used "Semper Fi" translates to "Always Faithful" or "Always Loyal" and demands unlimited amounts of respect among anyone who can understand the full meaning behind this.

Perhaps the reason for such copious amounts of respect for this idea of a constant faithfulness and/or loyalty, is that this is very difficult to live by and therefore mostly found in short supply. Perhaps to lower the pedestal and make the concept more within our reach, us non-Marines might encumber it with a heap of conditions. But, this does not bring us closer to being "Semper Fi," it only dilutes an otherwise worthwhile ideal. Always means "Without Exception" but is that possible? I believe it could be, at our choosing.

I would like to be more faithful and more loyal. Although not absent of these qualities: I am faithful and loyal to my wife but that's easy because I love her; She has has made my life a better place and I'm grateful to God for allowing me such a great blessing. What about all the other people? Do my friends and family consider me always faithful and always loyal to them? I am not qualified to answer that but wouldn't we all like to think of ourselves as holding within us the qualities of "Semper Fi?"

What if we could all know that if anybody ever asked our friends and family, one of the first things said about us would be "Always Faithful" Always Loyal," someone to be counted on to never leave anyone behind and never to ignore a "Man Down" call.

When someone in our reach falls for any reason and we metaphorically have the equivalent of a "Man Down" call,  are we there to catch them, brace their fall and help them up when they loose their footing? Standing together we are all stronger when facing life but are we "Semper Fi?"

"The Sting of the Scorpion" or Obedience and Consequence of Actions

"Disregarding what we know to be right whether through laziness or rebelliousness, always brings about undesirable and spiritually damaging consequences. We find healing and relief only when we…" Well, you should really watch "The Sting of the Scorpion" instead of this so here it is:

Red Carpet Gutter Nominations for Thanksgiving

Artist Mark Jenkins has made a very simple statement here about the value placed in our fellow human beings.


I suppose it could represent the non-corporate bail-out plan in place for the last decade of politics in many parts of the world. If you are not at the head of a corporation big enough to be invited when your government is making budget plans for the coming years, you may qualify for "The Red Carpet Gutter Nominations." If nominated you too could be on the "Fast Track" for the exciting new titles of the decade, like "Loser" or "Trash," some may even go as far as to name you a "Waste of Space" or "Burden of Society" if your cup has run empty. 


Maybe, if we all treated everybody according to their God-given potential, viewed people as who they might rise to be if given half a chance and we could all hold our heads up with dignity, facing each other again--without shame.


Wars, suffering, injustice and misery are not all indicators that God is an immortal God or a cruel and imperfect God with shortcomings but rather that we have been given the freedom and choice to act on the needs of our fellow human beings. Everybody helping everybody may seem a simple matter, yet people suffer and die all around us every day of the year.


Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to remember that God is the provider of all the good in our lives and we should recognize this by responding with thanks and gratitude in our personal prayers. But, blessings are not just for us to enjoy by ourselves, there is a great deal of happiness and joy to be found in showing compassion and helping others. In helping others we also help ourselves and it's difficult to remain depressed and worrying about material matters, if constantly surrounded by the gratitude, joy and happiness of those you've kept from falling and those whose sufferings you've eased.


When you lend a shoulder to keep someone from falling, suffering, pain and even agony, you not only spare them the scrapes and bruises but you also warm and strengthen their heart and resolve. We are all our brothers keeper--and they are ours. All is well when we remember just that.

The Overnight Success Story of "Societal Waste" "Losers" and "Trash"

Artist Mark Jenkins made an excellent commentary on the growing trend of conveniently categorizing people as "Waste," "Losers" and human "Trash" left by the wayside, while the truck of "The Overnight Success" is rushing past them, all sealed up with no room to spare in the background. The installation depicted above may be art but it is talking about real peoples lives, people that didn't climb to everybody's peak of adoration. 


The words "Loser," "Trash" and "Waste" has been around for a long time but it's tragic and sad when words of such a negative nature are turned into labels and applied to human beings with real lives, feelings, hopes and aspirations. Labels of this nature tend to stick in a most unmerciful way, yet their use is gaining momentum. 


Many political parties around the world currently refer to various population groups as "Losers" and government policies are made factoring in these groups as "Societal Burdens." This brings to mind terminology such as "Lesser Elements," used in Germany during the Second World War. Imagine people trying to improve their station in life all while knowing that they are officially referred to as "Losers?" That's a lot of pressure for any person to live under and as the pressure builds, people are wasting their lives and talents mainly seeking the approval of others, instead of focusing on peace and contentment within themselves and building up careers to suit their needs. Why are we treating people like this?


All around us there are people battling tragedies of various kinds, while seeing their lives shattered at no fault of their own. Families, loved ones, health, livelihood and careers are sometimes gone within moments and good people suddenly experience economic or emotional ruin as a consequence.


Sports, school, career, society, friends and family have winners and sadly also losers. The terminology is now a widespread trend and seems to have gained a solid foothold in many countries of the world. The popularity of such labels among groups that consider themselves successful or aim to be successful are spreading like a plague claiming large numbers of emotional casualties and lost futures.

The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:16

16 ... Ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.


These people are not "Losers" or "Trash" but opportunities for all of us to grow. None of us have more than a fractional understanding of the "Yardstick" used by God in measuring the worth of a soul and we shouldn't attempt to judge everyone of His souls that we come near. Helping others in their time of need is not a time for us to judge them or saying they brought this on themselves.


The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:17-19
17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—


 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.


 19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?


We can never know anybody's situation well enough to fully understand it but God does ask us to help our fellow beings. Helping others is a cure for many ails of the soul and a great way to make friends and gain a better understanding of God's ways.

The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:17

17 ...When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.


A healthy competitive spirit improves performance and is a good way to develop sportsmanship and would by its very nature not bring about labels such as "Loser" and "Trash." Of other realistic reasons for using such strong labels on actual human beings could be lack of self-confidence, empathy, insight, understanding or it could simply have its root in misunderstandings.


While the symptoms of this trend are found in our choice of language, the real problem might have its origin in the competitive lifestyle, that now seems to saturate almost every facet of our existence. Competition can produce many good results but does often leave many more in defeat than with a glorious victory.


Because of the many possible connotations in the use of labels like "Loser" and "Trash," the scaring is likely to be deep, cumulative and lasting. Continued encounters of this sort will stay with a person and have a potentially lifelong negative impact. The use of labels will rob not only the person in question but society and in turn yourself for that persons potential income and future tax contributions.


We don't grow up dreaming of a life of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles or all the possible failures we might experience, when asked in grade school what we'd like to be when we grow up. Most people start out life wanting to be a success. This has it's price and when you're busy trying to ensure delivery when that big truckload of success is coming your way, it's far to easy to forget about those who might need a minute of your time, a helping hand or those unfortunates that got sidetracked along the way and didn't make it. Without a helping hand or a lot of helping hands, we could and most likely would all be "Losers" or "Trash" by the wayside waiting to be carted off.


But in view of Mark Jenkins work, is this how we have come to respect and treat the rights of other people? Do we leave them with sufficient dignity to go on living or ever succeed again? If we instead see each other as Brothers and Sisters, or possible reflections of ourselves under different circumstances and reach out a helping hand and actually help the person back up on their feet--instead of expecting or even demanding that they just "Shake it off" and "Cheer up, it'll all be okay!" If the tables were turned, wouldn't it be nice to have someone remember that in their time of need, you were there and you helped them when it comes time for your personal lesson in humility and you stand in need of a helping hand?


I firmly believe that the world would be a better place if we were all a little as described in the parable of the "Good Samaritan" that found a man, half dead by the wayside, helped him and bound his wounds. He then placed this stranger on his own beast, meaning he himself would have to walk beside the beast for the remainder of the route and brought him to the nearest place for care, payed for the further care and promised to settle the total bill upon his return--as the stranger clearly wasn't in a position to take care of these matters.

Anybody Can Pray, Anywhere and Anytime: Simple Instructions for Prayer

This I share because it has been of great help to me. Prayer is my time with God, in it I find peace, rest and comfort when life gets overwhelming.

You can pray anywhere and at any time. You don't need a prayerbook, you don't have to choose from a selection of pre-made prayers and you don't have to wait for a special time of day before you can pray. But, you must be sincere--simply saying prayers is quite a different thing from engaging in meaningful prayer, counseling with the Lord in all our doings.

Your prayer is yours and you decide what to pray about. You may pray out loud in your own privacy, any other appropriate situation or quietly in your own mind while in the middle of crowds of people, if that is what your situation demands and all it allows. While quiet, private solitude may allow the ultimate conditions for contemplative and reflective prayer, these are not the only conditions suitable for prayer. Where you are when you need to pray, is where you pray and no one else needs to know.

Acquainting ourselves a little with God's thinking by reading up on God's past dealings with other people before praying, may not only prepare a state of mind more ready for prayer but also help us get to know who we are addressing when praying. If God is a complete stranger to us and we are mostly unfamiliar with his past (as described in the scriptures) it might prove a little more difficult to get close to Him in prayer.

The New Testament, Ephesians, Chapter 3, verses 14 to 21

14
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The Book of Mormon, Jacob, Chapter 4, verses 7 to 11
7

Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

8

Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

9

For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

10

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

11

Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

In verse ten it states "seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand," I see a great potential in gaining a better understanding of how to approach God in prayer. Prayer is not, and will never be a license to command, demand or order God to act on our whims. 


When we are in need of God's help and strength in our lives it's time to plead in heartfelt prayer that He may hear and answer our prayers, offered up in sincere humility and reverence, showing that we recognize God and His son Jesus Christ's position in our lives.

Four Simple Steps of Prayer

Prayer is never more complicated than we ourselves make it out to be. Beyond a few simple basics you decide the content of your prayer.

1. We first must address God in our prayer, in humility and respect. That is to say, we seek God, our Father in Heaven or Our Heavenly Father to hear our prayer. There are many ways to address God respectfully, we merely have to choose one.
2. Express your gratitude. This is a way to recognize God's hand in your life, giving Him credit for all that you appreciate. Give thanks to God, also for the things that you think to have done all by yourself! Could you have done anything, unless God had blessed you with the necessary talent and ability?
3. You can at this point bring up issues that might be causing you difficulty or confusion, if after you have done all you can do are in need of His help or strength sorting it out. This is also a good opportunity to admit to your wrongs and ask for God's forgiveness. 
4. Jesus Christ is our mediator with God. He has payed the price and when addressing God it must be done in the name of Jesus Christ, ending with an Amen.

The New Testament, James, Chapter 1, verses 5 and 6

5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Doctrine and Covenants, Section 9, verses 7 to 9

 7 

Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

 8 

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

 9 

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.


To pray can sometimes be a personal challenge. There are times when we might benefit greatly from prayer but are overwhelmed with the feelings and thoughts of a difficult predicament. We might feel angered by the injustice of such a situation and it might even seem as if everything has gone wrong. 


A prayer can change things around when everything looks impossible. Focusing on the bits in life that has not gone wrong can help change our focus and discover the many reasons for gratitude on our lives--and then maybe find enough peace within ourselves for sincere and focused prayer. 


To remove focus from the problems that overwhelm us, pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart. Pray that you'll succeed in your discovery of prayer and know that my prayers are with you.

Book of Mormon Missionaries Then and Now

Why do young people all over over the world give up two years of their lives to do missionary work? Perhaps some of the reasons might be found in reading about missionaries in the Book of Mormon:

The Book of Mormon, Jacob, chapter 1, verse 19:

19
And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

An example of missionaries in The Book of Mormon:

The Book of Mormon, Alma, chapter 26, verse 29:

29 
And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

Listening to the Spirit is also important on the bad days:

The Book of Mormon, Alma, chapter 26, verse 27:

27 
Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

... and this is what makes it all worth while:

The Book of Mormon, Alma, chapter 26, verse 30 - 31:

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

31 
Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.


Young and old, Brothers and Sisters all over the world go and serve on missions, not because they have to and not because anybody makes them. They go because their message is real, they know the required process for spiritual change and they have seen it work. These missionaries bring the same message that changed their own lives for the better. To see that change and the happiness it brings into people's lives is only a small part of the motivation behind a good missionary. It becomes a duty with the understanding that responsibility is not about yourself but others!

Our Living World

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.


Sub Zero - winter night timelapse from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.