Monday, June 17, 2013

A Call for an Open Discussion

image In Young Single Adult wards challenges seem to wax and wane. At times it feels as though all is well in Zion. Then, without warning, it feels as though a tsunami of challenges plaque the ward. Of course, neither is true. Mortality provides us a constant arena of triumphs and tragedies.

So it is with this ward.

image Because of alarming trends I have been monitoring, I would like to create an open forum for any who desire to participate. To better target this discussion, I ask each of you to watch this video.

Think about its message and share with me your insights. Feel free to post your comments on the blog, on Face Book, through a text, or an a-mail.

I look forward to your comments.

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3 comments:

  1. Brantley Sterling ScottJune 17, 2013 at 8:04 PM

    Hey I remember this video from my childhood! I really liked it. I think sometimes we think we are different and are ok watching corrupting movies or media, but it affects us all male and female.

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  2. UnknownJune 18, 2013 at 12:12 PM

    I agree with the movie/media comment. Watching/listening to something that has degrading material strongly diminishes our ability recognize and follow the Spirit. Also, it invites the influence of satan into our lives. We essentially move from th light to the darkness, little by little.

    It is hard to avoid certain movies at times because of peer influence. Our friends whom we respect and trust may find a movie acceptable and so we too may be inclined to participate, even when we feel deep down that what we may be watching is not acceptable to God. What will it take for us to develop a culture of turning off spiritually destructive media instead of justifying it?

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  3. Jessica WilsonJune 18, 2013 at 12:35 PM

    I absolutely LOVED watching that video! So incredible. And I agree with everything Bishop Heiss has said.
    I have found lately, surprisingly, that in my college experience it is often times the "Molly Mormons" and the "Peter Priesthoods" that get shot down for having "too strong of beliefs" or for being "too goody goody". And I say that this needs to stop. Why should we (I'm including myself in this "we" because I have had my moments too) criticize people for doing what they feel the spirit prompts them to do? We have allowed our society to fall into the gray scale. The one where "it's ok to let a certain standard slip" or "who cares what anyone thinks, it's my life and I'll repent later". Even growing up in Utah, I was thrown into so many different experiences where my testimony was sincerely tried. I saw girls and guys from good Mormon families do things that I would throw in the black category, but that they'd throw in the wishy washy area. It was hard to find solid friends (impossible to think that as an outside-of-utah person, but it's true) that had the same standards as me and that wouldn't put up with gray areas. I'm at the point in my life where I am done with rationalizations. I'm done with excuses. It's either good or it's bad. And I really believe that evil spirits try to tell us that we are different. That we're invincible. That because we've been through certain trials or that we have witnessed certain things, that we can be exempt from being accountable to the pain that we put ourselves and others through. That's just my tidbit. I pray that I will be able to stop rationalizing in my own life and realize that snakes are snakes, no matter how much I want them to be bunnies. :P

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