The Stable -- A Symbol of Hope

For the past few years I have tried to look at different aspects of the Christmas story to keep the spirit of Christmas ever fresh in my mind. This year, my focus has been on the lowly stable where Christ was born. This stable brings up many questions in my mind.

What was the stable like? In various nativity scenes the stable is portrayed as a quiet, quaint, and almost sacred place. But I don’t think this romanticized view of this wretched place does justice to the lesson God is trying to teach.

Rather than a place worthy of the birth of the King of Kings, the stable was likely a cave filled with soiled hay. It was probably cleaned out infrequently but even after this cleaning, it wreaked of decades of dirty animals.

My guess is the air in the stable was heavy, difficult to breath, and filled with flies. The ground as always damp an covered with saturated hay. There as a constant scurrying about of rodents.I can imagine that prior to entering this stable, people would take a deep in order to avoid breathing in this putrid air. This was not a place fit for humans.

Why would the Father choose the stable to be the birthplace for His Son?

Jesus was a new-born baby. He had no recollection of the stable. So, the stable could hold no lesson for Him.

Joseph clearly understood the importance of Mary’s child. To help him avoid breaking off their engagement, an angel appeared to him. From that point on, Joseph did all he could to protect Mary and to ease her great burden. I assume that Joseph felt only guilt for not finding a more suitable place for this sacred Child to be born.There was no lesson here for him.

Mary needed no more lessons on humility or submission. For nine months she bore the shame of being an unwed mother and almost lost the opportunity to marry the man she loved. That Mary so willingly accepted this inhospitable place to bring her Child into this world is a testament of her great humility and her willingness to submit to all the will of the Lord.

No, I don’t think the stable held any vital lessons for Jesus, Joseph, or Mary.Rather, I believe the stable is an important symbol for anyone seeking to be a disciple of Christ.

What can we learn from the stable?

I feel the most important lesson we can learn for this wretched stable is that our personal pathway to eternal life pass right through that most horrible place. Our mortal experience is symbolized in this most lowly of stables.

Each of us is beloved child of God. Yet, in spite of our birthright, we are all sent to this fallen earth awash in filth and grime. Mortality is our stable. None of us will come through this experience unscathed. But we are not without hope.

Because of the Christ-child, we can all be cleansed from the seemingly indelible stains of mortality. There is no sin we can commit nor pain we must endure that cannot be lifted by the selfless sacrifice of God’s beloved son.

This is the message heralded by the angel announcing the birth to the shepherds:

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

I urge each of you to follow the shepherds and come with haste to worship the Son. Let Him bind up your wounds and dry your tears. That ancient stable blessed to be the birthplace of our Savior is our message of hope.

To Touch the Face of God

We have all been hurt by the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary school yesterday. It will be difficult, if not impossible to make sense of this tragedy. We may never understand why this young man with a troubled mind would act so brutally and callously against those who did him no wrong.

But we must be careful not to allow our hurt, our attempts toward empathy,and our profound sense of loss devolve into anger or hate. This will serve no purpose.

These events reminded me of another time this nation, and its school children, faced a tragedy that left us reeling. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off from Cape Kennedy bearing seven astronauts. Among them was a school teacher named Christa McAuliffe.

Because she had special permission from NASA to join the crew, school children from all around the world took a break from their classes to watch the space shuttle launch. Unbeknownst to all, an O-ring on one of the massive fuel tanks was damaged. As the super-hot gases ignited in the tank, this small device failed and flames tore through the exterior of the tank.

Only 73 second into the flight, in front of the nation and its anxious school children, the space shuttle exploded killing all seven of its crew.

There was no way to shield the children from this tragedy. There was no way to prepare them for what they saw. Millions of children were stunned that day as was an entire nation.

That night, President Ronald Reagan appeared on national TV to help start the healing process. In, what I view as his finest moment, the President spoke to the nation and its children about the tragedy. He ended his speech from a line of the poem High Flight by John Gillespie Magee which reads:

“…[they] slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”

As you seek to frame this tragedy in its proper context, I urge each of you to view this video from LDS.org that speaks to the concept of tragedies and the hope that follows when we have an open heart. I pray that you will allow this message to reawaken the spirit of Christmas to speak peace to your souls.

Remember, it is in the midst of tragedy that we are more open to recognize the tender mercies of a loving Heavenly Father.

Proper Perspective

In light of the elections last night and the vitriol expressed by many through social media outlets, I feel it imperative to focus your attention on how to place these events in their proper perspective to help you develop a pattern for the future.

As the Civil War raged on, President Lincoln faced the difficult task of seeking his second term amidst the flames of battle. The press predicated not only that President Lincoln would lose but that he would be embarrassed by his opponent General McClellan.

The nation had grown tired of war and blamed Lincoln for all that was wrong in their lives. The campaign was brutal. Both sides predicated that if the other party won it would be the end of the United States.

Lincoln won.

The nation endured.

This nation will always endure.

When the results of last night’s election became apparent, my wife was monitoring the responses from friends and family on Face Book. As you are all aware, many, whose candidate lost the election, starting posting extremely negative, even hateful responses. Among those posting were my wife’s family members.

As their posting became more negative, my wife tried to make the case for more tolerance. Instead of tempering their emotions, these family members turned their venom on her. Such uncivil behavior is unbecoming of a Latter-day Saint. We are all better than that.

While many of our family and friends feel compelled to spew their disgust in a public forum, I am very pleased with the restraint I have seen from many of you who may be been equally disappointed but you, unlike those older and more experienced than you, were better able to measure your responses.

Please note, that as my friends and acquaintance feel justified in unfettered rants, I have explained to them how you have been very successful in being just as passionate for your beliefs without descending into the abyss of hate-mongering. I am very proud of you.

I think we can all learn from Governor Romney's concession speech where he stated publically that he would pray to God for the President's success. Mitt Romney is a great man. Great in victory and gracious in defeat.

So, please do your best to avoid the natural tendency to vent. Nothing good comes from the expression of raw emotion. I suggest you take the time to read what the Brethren say about last night’s election.

It is Almost Here

No, this is not about the elections. Rather this is about something almost equal in importance. You guessed it – Ward Date Night!!!

Let me make sure you all have clarity about the evening so that any misgivings can be avoided.

Exemption from the dancing ban. Yes, I know I have classified dancing as one of the seven deadly sins. You guys don’t listen to me anyway, so don’t use my aversion to dancing as an excuse not to come. To be clear:

• This is not a ward dance.
• Your are not expected to be an experienced dancer.
• You will not walk away from this event proficient in dancing.

Sister Mullen will be teaching all aspects of etiquette that will be used at some time in your life. Her main goal is to prepare you for the real world, most especially, the business world. She uses basic dancing skills to provide you greater confidence is an unfamiliar word. So don’t stress over the dancing.

This is a date, albeit assigned. Guys, once you are told who your date is, you MUST contact her immediately and go through that painful process of asking her out. I would encourage you to have this done by Tuesday, if not earlier. Because this is an “assigned” date, the normal pressure that attends the dating game is gone. She will say yes.

Girls, you will say yes, right?

The dress is Sunday formal. Do not spend any money renting fancy clothes. This is not prom. Rather wear what you would to church. If you are military, you are welcome to wear your dress uniform. We will all be impressed.

There will be food. The food will be great and there will be enough for all. You will be served by experienced waiters (well, maybe not that experience).

You will have fun! No, this is not by way of commandment. But Sister Mullen makes the whole evening great. Also, you will be with fellow ward members and any time we get together we have fun.

If you have not signed up, please do so as soon as possible. Contact Rachel Winiecke today.

Not of the World

For most of my working career, I have been the only LDS person among my co-workers. Even now, while I live in Utah, I am almost always the only member of the church on all teams I work on. While this has been a great experience, it has led to some rather difficult situations.

On those rare occasions when I travel and meet face to face with members from my team, I quickly realize that we do not all share the same standards. For example, after the work day is over, the vast majority of team members enjoy going to the bar or seeking out entertainment that is not consistent with my standards.

Along with that, there is a tendency for team members to use profane language and to share vulgar and inappropriate stories and jokes with each other. Now, I want to make it clear, these are not bad people; in fact, quite the opposite, these are very good people. This is simply the reality of living in a fallen world.

I bring this up because almost all of you will find yourselves in similar situations in the not do distant future. In fact, some of you are facing such situations today. Let me share with you some advice that has worked well for me.

Stand your ground. Simply because everyone else is participating in conversations or activities inconsistent with LDS standards does not mean you have to. In my own situation, over time I have gained more respect by not participating in any activities that would compromised my standards.

Live the standards at all times. The real measure of your devotion to Christ is how you live your standards when no one is watching or when you are with a group of friends. Don’t let the questionable standards of others cloud your judgment.

If my mother could see me, would I still act this way? Typically, our resistance against the world weakens when we are relaxed and with friends. This is when we must be on our guard against the filth so prevalent in our society. Do your best to act as you would if our mother was in the room with you.

Discipline defines the disciple. In my opinion, the use of profanity and the occasional foray into vulgarity represent a severe lack of discipline. Likewise, it violates the charge we all have to bridle our passions. Think before you speak.

I am convinced that if you can apply these four simple suggestions into your lives that you will never struggle with being in the world and not of it. Also, I promise that those with whom you associate, both in and out of the church, will hold you in higher esteem and respect you for being true to your standards.

Which Fork to Use?

So, do you hate that awkward moment when you sit down at a table and there are more forks than you know what do to with? Or perhaps you sat down at a round table and could never quite determine which glass was yours. And what about that napkin? Does it stay on your lap, tuck into your collar, or do you really even need it? (Most guys don’t.)

Well, this is your lucky day. On Friday, November 2, we will have our second Ward Date Night of the semester. This is no ordinary Date Night because we are not ordinary ward. This Date Night will include a formal multi-course dinner, expert instructions on proper etiquette, basic dancing instructions, and a most wonderful time.

Do all you can now to clear your calendar to attend this great event. It is the third time our ward as done this an each time all participants have had a great fun. More information will be coming in the next weeks.

Lest you forget, D&C 139:1 reads: “Thou salt willingly attend Ward Date Night.”

We look forward to seeing you there.

This Ain’t High School

This post is directed at the male population of this ward but I encourage the sisters to read as well. I would really appreciate comments from anyone as this may be a bit lecture-y.

I have had a few complaints from the female population regarding questionable topics of casual conversation from the male population of our ward. Now, I am not assuming this is a rampant problem. In fact, I am convinced this is a very minor problem. But big or little, it is still a problem and one that is easily resolved.

First, I strongly recommend to all Priesthood holders, that you refrain from treating the sisters like one of the guys. They are not one of the guys and in most cases they resent being treated like one of the guys.

But how do you know if you are treating them like one of the guys? Well, with questions such as this, I always look for a pattern that is easy to apply.

If you are going to make a joke or say something that you hope to be funny, before you open your mouth, ask yourself if you would say that in front of or directed at your mother. If there is even the slightest chance that you would not, then don’t say it.

Second, learn to elevate your casual conversation. In High School, comments about bodily functions, body parts, and similar related topics are easy ways to get a quick laugh from the gang. Likewise, using off-colored language always got snickers from the pack. Those days are over.

It is just not funny any more. Sure, you may still get a laugh now and then, but the price to you is too high. A frequent return to locker room slang will only set you apart as one lacking the maturity to function in the adult world.

Is it worth it? I hope not.

Third, it is NEVER appropriate to make rude, insulting, or off-color comments about girl’s bodies in their presence. If you want a free pass to the social purgatory, make this mistake more than once. In fact, make it once and you may already be on the train to limbo.

Likewise, it is equally unacceptable to speak of girls is such a way when you are with the guys.

Come on Elders, let’s be men. Better yet, let’s be worthy of the priesthood you hold. Take the time to do some self-evaluation. Have the courage to make those course corrections necessary. We can all be better.

Sisters, don’t accept such disrespect. If you can, say something. If you can’t walk away. They will get the message.