As I shuffled papers on my desk this morning and rechecked some remarks in emails and on various message boards, I found, to the point of amusement, that we have many ways to obscure the word "lie." We are masters of the art. I say we, because I freely confess to an occasional falsehood (please note the absence of the actual word, lie.) Any married man who can answer the question, “Honey, do these pants make me look fat?” without a violation of the commandment is either a fool, or else, blessed with an extremely trim spouse. Without looking, I routinely answer my wife in the affirmative and it has become a family joke. Rarely do the pants actually contribute to the appearance of “looking fat.”
Like all the commandments, the ninth is unambiguous: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Gen. 20:16) The Bible does not speak to error, misunderstanding, or bad information. We all clearly know what it means. If you know the truth and then tell another tale, it is false witness, i.e. lying. I do not apologize if the word offends. God tells us clearly that He is offended by the action and He commands us not to do it. In my opinion, I see more violation of this commandment than possibly any, other than the first.
I often hear the excuse; “It’s for the greater good.” Yeah, right! For the greater good for God or for the greater good of the speaker is the next logical question. If God saw any “good” in it, I doubt He would have included it in His commandments. If you see the commandments on a sliding scale of importance then you might say it’s number nine and dismiss its importance. Therein you trivialize the importance to Him.
In scripture, and especially the entire Restoration canon, how many calls do we see to verification by several witnesses? We put great stock in the testimony of the “three witness.” Given the command not to be false, we are then left with—true. Upon this premise we treasure the Book of Mormon. We also accept the Doctrine and Covenants and its revealed word for the same reason. On that sound platform, I also accept your testimony and the revealed experiences of others speaking in the spirit based on the day-by-day observation of your obedience to the ninth commandment. It is this common thread which allows us to share our encounters with the Lord at all levels.
When I catch someone in a lie, and it’s all too frequent, I feel the affront as a wound. When I hear it from a fellow saint, or worse, priesthood, I grieve! What affect must it have on God? In the course of repentance, I have acknowledged to Him those occasions of false witness with fear and trembling. I should! I well know the promises which follow repentance and His promise of forgiveness and “to remember it not,” but do I wish to face the final judgment with my memory of these offenses? I trust Him to keep his covenant. I can only pray that my repentance is sufficient that He can see me keeping my end.
One demonstration of the near universal popularity of holding the ninth commandment in contempt is the sheer number of words used to describe the activity. With very little research I easily came up with 66 nouns, 91 verbs and 47 adjectives as synonyms for lie or false witness. Do you think you find as many for covet? Kill? Steal? Who knows? Some of these substitute words imply a measure of degree, which I question. You can put lipstick on a pig, but, you know the result. I do think I have heard nearly all of these weasel words when confronting someone with an untruth. “Well, it was just a little white lie so I wouldn’t hurt your feelings.” “Puhleeeze!” I am a big grown up boy now and I can take it. Tell me the truth.
Do not forswear, perjure, misstate, miscite, misreport, falsify, pervert, distort, disguise, color, exaggerate, palter, varnish, embroider, invent, fabricate, hatch, concoct, dissemble, feign, assume, pretend, simulate, or counterfeit the facts to make me feel better. If you don’t like something I write on this blog, fine, tell me straight. I might even take a lesson from it. If you do like it, tell me that also so I can get the big head. In the process, you may find God is immensely pleased that you are paying attention to His word. If you choose not to take this advice, you may find your baggage on the way to judgment just a shade heavier. I have personally decided that the minor pain of hearing and saying the truth are petty compared to having to answer for false witness.
In the confusion of competing organizational structure in the emerging hierarchy, a lot of issues are put forth, plans are made, and sometimes leadership lets their guard down. In the rush to qualify, occasional issues of a former life bob to the top. A former association may be viewed in some quarters as worthy while among others, it is despicable. In the distrust generated by the apostasy it behooves every man who would lead to be scrupulous in openness about his associations, both today and yesterday. As members, we need to know exactly what you believe today. It’s immaterial if you were wrong in the past. We all were somewhere along the line. What is important now is open denunciation of former ill-considered associations and doctrine. This is not a time for equivocation. It is time to stand foursquare for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of His church to achieve a Zionic condition of the people here and now. And that’s no lie.
In His abiding love
Cecil Moon
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Testimony
It's eating me alive. It shouldn't be, but it is. For many reasons. A few weeks ago a woman stood up at prayer meeting and stated, "I didn't think I had a testimony tonight, but I do. " She then launched into a tirade about the laxity of the saints and the church in not baptizing the dead. Sections 107, 109 and110 should not have been taken out of the Doctrine and Covenants, and they certainly should be put back in, she declared.
Last year I was invited to join a class which is being taught by one of the ladies of the congregation, and of whom the above woman is an avid student. I attended two sessions. One of the reasons I didn't go back was for this very reason. In my research, I have not been able to find any evidence to support baptism for the dead, and I certainly cannot continue to attend a class taught by someone who not only pushes the agenda, but places Joseph Smith, Jr. on such a high pedestal that his humanity all but disappears. Recently some of this veneration of Joseph Smith has begun to creep into Sunday School class. That bothers me.
If the priesthood wants to allow these classes to go on within the walls of the church, fine. But when the teachings spill out into prayer meeting and Sunday School I don't think I can accept that.
Back to the prayer meeting and the tirade. After the woman sat down a very loud silence reigned. There were three priesthood members present. The presiding elder sat with a deer-in-the-headlights look. The other two were behind me and I couldn't see them. No one said a word. Not one word. Thirty seconds ticked by. The presiding elder announced the last hymn and the meeting ended, thanks be to God.
Now, I suppose a testimony can be either positive or negative; who am I to judge a testimony? Personally, I have never felt compelled to stand up and badmouth the church at a prayer and testimony meeting. But that's just me. I feel there are other venues for that, and goodness knows enough of that goes on. Maybe I'm naive, but I always thought, at least within the context of the RLDS/Restoration, that Wednesday night was supposed to be an uplifting experience, giving God the glory and praising His name. Maybe not. The only information I have been able to gather about the meeting itself is that there is to be no musical accompaniment to the hymn singing (D&C 119:6.)
So, what bothered me so much about this "testimony?" Was it the fact that I didn't agree with what was said? Maybe, although I've disagreed with other things that have been talked about there. Was it the fact that it wasn't a testimony but, rather, a tirade? Or the fact that it was such a shock, and an embarrassment to us all? I think what continues to eat away at me is that not one of the elders had one word to say about the inappropriateness of the speech. But maybe I'm wrong in assuming there is a time and a place for such things. I honestly don't know. I only know that the whole texture of the prayer meeting was changed by that incident. But, compared to what is going on in the rest of the church and the rest of the world, it's pretty small, isn't it?
Do I feel better now? Not really, but in time, I probably will. Will God take care of it? Yes. In His time and according to His will. Now all you priesthood types can come out and start telling me what a critical, ungrateful, unchristian wretch I am. Let the chastisement begin.
Last year I was invited to join a class which is being taught by one of the ladies of the congregation, and of whom the above woman is an avid student. I attended two sessions. One of the reasons I didn't go back was for this very reason. In my research, I have not been able to find any evidence to support baptism for the dead, and I certainly cannot continue to attend a class taught by someone who not only pushes the agenda, but places Joseph Smith, Jr. on such a high pedestal that his humanity all but disappears. Recently some of this veneration of Joseph Smith has begun to creep into Sunday School class. That bothers me.
If the priesthood wants to allow these classes to go on within the walls of the church, fine. But when the teachings spill out into prayer meeting and Sunday School I don't think I can accept that.
Back to the prayer meeting and the tirade. After the woman sat down a very loud silence reigned. There were three priesthood members present. The presiding elder sat with a deer-in-the-headlights look. The other two were behind me and I couldn't see them. No one said a word. Not one word. Thirty seconds ticked by. The presiding elder announced the last hymn and the meeting ended, thanks be to God.
Now, I suppose a testimony can be either positive or negative; who am I to judge a testimony? Personally, I have never felt compelled to stand up and badmouth the church at a prayer and testimony meeting. But that's just me. I feel there are other venues for that, and goodness knows enough of that goes on. Maybe I'm naive, but I always thought, at least within the context of the RLDS/Restoration, that Wednesday night was supposed to be an uplifting experience, giving God the glory and praising His name. Maybe not. The only information I have been able to gather about the meeting itself is that there is to be no musical accompaniment to the hymn singing (D&C 119:6.)
So, what bothered me so much about this "testimony?" Was it the fact that I didn't agree with what was said? Maybe, although I've disagreed with other things that have been talked about there. Was it the fact that it wasn't a testimony but, rather, a tirade? Or the fact that it was such a shock, and an embarrassment to us all? I think what continues to eat away at me is that not one of the elders had one word to say about the inappropriateness of the speech. But maybe I'm wrong in assuming there is a time and a place for such things. I honestly don't know. I only know that the whole texture of the prayer meeting was changed by that incident. But, compared to what is going on in the rest of the church and the rest of the world, it's pretty small, isn't it?
Do I feel better now? Not really, but in time, I probably will. Will God take care of it? Yes. In His time and according to His will. Now all you priesthood types can come out and start telling me what a critical, ungrateful, unchristian wretch I am. Let the chastisement begin.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A Day of Remembrance
The primary purpose of Zion Beckons is to advance the teachings of Jesus Christ to promote a Zionic lifestyle. Our scriptures are filled with dire warnings of calamities which will befall those of us who ignore the words of God. We shudder with fear at the prospect of devastating earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters which will be the price of not heeding his Word.
When the people attempted to flee from Egypt, were the unbelievers subjected to plagues and terrors from an earth in upheaval? The plagues which subsequently came to impress the Pharaoh and the people were definitely natural but not the ones we are occasionally promised. They came cloaked as, when seen individually, seemingly innocent incidents. What is the problem with finding an occasional locust, frog, gnat or fly? When these are amplified, as only God can do, they become a plague. A little blood as a result of clumsiness is a minor matter; when the entire water supply is polluted it becomes a major disaster. It took Pharaoh a long time to get the picture. Even to the end, he didn’t fully understand.
Do we believe the adversary is not capable of delivering a plague? Does he take time off from his deviltry to relax and enjoy his many accomplishments? Just looking back on my own history of temptation and sin, I see him active 24/7. Even though my resistance level has been enhanced by the presence of God in my life today, I still see evidence of the offerings of Satan. The point is to recognize evil regardless of how it is clothed. This brings me to discuss the primary evil which threatens us today as a nation.
Today is the sixth anniversary of the most devastating attack on American soil in history by a foreign enemy. My age works against popular feeling today as I recall the events of December 7, 1941. I also recall the absolute dedication among our people to avenge the death and destruction wrought on that day. We, as a people, were unprepared but committed to return peace to a world stricken by fanatical enemies. We were unashamed to call upon Almighty God to aid us in the cause. And, aid us He did.
In the early forties, every American could easily identify the enemy and could also understand what personal sacrifice was necessary to enable their defeat. Today, I believe, we are engaged in a far more titanic struggle. We face an enemy who outnumbers us by a factor of five to one. We face an enemy who has a creed which offers us three alternatives; conversion, enslavement or death. We face an enemy who enjoys (?) a birthrate of 4.1 as opposed to our 2.1. In a war of attrition, we lose! We face an enemy who enjoys the sympathy of our media, many clergy, and, in some cases our elected leaders. This enemy has a name: radical Islam.
As usual, we suffer again from that old bugaboo, category error. We have set the blame for our struggle everywhere but where it really belongs: radical Islam. Some claim we deserved our fate six years ago. Others blame a war mongering president. Still others say it’s all about oil. Hogwash. It’s about over a billion (that’s with a B) people who choose to profane their holy book and read in it a recipe for disaster for the free world. They abhor the one nation which still preserves the God given liberties to man in its Constitution. Having never experienced it, they can not enjoy freedom. Oppression is natural for a people who treat women as chattel and rig sixth graders with explosives to commit suicide. This is not some amusing third world culture with a few crazy ideas. It is, rather, over a fifth of the world’s population bent on our absolute destruction. Place the blame where it truly belongs: radical Islam!
Even casual readers of our scriptures are familiar with the strife believers in Jesus Christ have endured. They are also familiar with God’s ability to ennoble certain men as leaders and battlefield commanders to achieve His ends. We are not alone in this enterprise. He is with us if only we can recognize the enemy. Peace, harmony, and “love” have a nice ring but they do not typify those words required to prevail over the vilest enemy we have ever faced. We need, especially on this “Day of Remembrance”, to rededicate ourselves to the defeat of that which God deplores. This satanic enemy has a name; use it! Radical Islam.
In His abiding love.
Cecil Moon
When the people attempted to flee from Egypt, were the unbelievers subjected to plagues and terrors from an earth in upheaval? The plagues which subsequently came to impress the Pharaoh and the people were definitely natural but not the ones we are occasionally promised. They came cloaked as, when seen individually, seemingly innocent incidents. What is the problem with finding an occasional locust, frog, gnat or fly? When these are amplified, as only God can do, they become a plague. A little blood as a result of clumsiness is a minor matter; when the entire water supply is polluted it becomes a major disaster. It took Pharaoh a long time to get the picture. Even to the end, he didn’t fully understand.
Do we believe the adversary is not capable of delivering a plague? Does he take time off from his deviltry to relax and enjoy his many accomplishments? Just looking back on my own history of temptation and sin, I see him active 24/7. Even though my resistance level has been enhanced by the presence of God in my life today, I still see evidence of the offerings of Satan. The point is to recognize evil regardless of how it is clothed. This brings me to discuss the primary evil which threatens us today as a nation.
Today is the sixth anniversary of the most devastating attack on American soil in history by a foreign enemy. My age works against popular feeling today as I recall the events of December 7, 1941. I also recall the absolute dedication among our people to avenge the death and destruction wrought on that day. We, as a people, were unprepared but committed to return peace to a world stricken by fanatical enemies. We were unashamed to call upon Almighty God to aid us in the cause. And, aid us He did.
In the early forties, every American could easily identify the enemy and could also understand what personal sacrifice was necessary to enable their defeat. Today, I believe, we are engaged in a far more titanic struggle. We face an enemy who outnumbers us by a factor of five to one. We face an enemy who has a creed which offers us three alternatives; conversion, enslavement or death. We face an enemy who enjoys (?) a birthrate of 4.1 as opposed to our 2.1. In a war of attrition, we lose! We face an enemy who enjoys the sympathy of our media, many clergy, and, in some cases our elected leaders. This enemy has a name: radical Islam.
As usual, we suffer again from that old bugaboo, category error. We have set the blame for our struggle everywhere but where it really belongs: radical Islam. Some claim we deserved our fate six years ago. Others blame a war mongering president. Still others say it’s all about oil. Hogwash. It’s about over a billion (that’s with a B) people who choose to profane their holy book and read in it a recipe for disaster for the free world. They abhor the one nation which still preserves the God given liberties to man in its Constitution. Having never experienced it, they can not enjoy freedom. Oppression is natural for a people who treat women as chattel and rig sixth graders with explosives to commit suicide. This is not some amusing third world culture with a few crazy ideas. It is, rather, over a fifth of the world’s population bent on our absolute destruction. Place the blame where it truly belongs: radical Islam!
Even casual readers of our scriptures are familiar with the strife believers in Jesus Christ have endured. They are also familiar with God’s ability to ennoble certain men as leaders and battlefield commanders to achieve His ends. We are not alone in this enterprise. He is with us if only we can recognize the enemy. Peace, harmony, and “love” have a nice ring but they do not typify those words required to prevail over the vilest enemy we have ever faced. We need, especially on this “Day of Remembrance”, to rededicate ourselves to the defeat of that which God deplores. This satanic enemy has a name; use it! Radical Islam.
In His abiding love.
Cecil Moon
Monday, September 10, 2007
Monday Morning Rant (3)
The past week has been a pleasure. The C.P. message board has calmed down and the name calling, personal attacks, and screaming have lessened to an acceptable level. It will never disappear. It is good that folks defend their research and concepts of their relationship with God with such fervor. However, it is always distasteful to see them resort to attacks on persons in lieu of logic and scriptural inquiry.
Since this is a rant, let me please ask everyone to open their bibles to the last page of the text. At the top of the two columns what does it say? I’ll help you with this. It plainly says REVELATION 23! It is singular, not plural. There is no S! There never was an S! There will never be an S! What in the world is it that prompts members and priesthood alike to assign this unnecessary S?
The very first sentence makes the matter clear. “1. The Revelation of John, a servant of God, which was given unto him of Jesus Christ things which must shortly come to pass, that he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John.” It is not a series of revelations; it is one, to one man, by one Author. People constantly refer to the “mysteries” so I guess this must be one. Like many impediments to clear speech, this is probably attributable to curtailed reading skills, carelessness or just plain laziness. Stop it! Thank you.
Speaking of words, is it possible that God doesn’t understand twenty-first century English? Yours may not but mine does. He would understand my prayers if I rendered them using some obscure dialect of Mandarin Chinese.
One of my favorite movie lines, from a “great” film, which title is long forgotten, still lives in my memory. Ma and Pa Kettle are seated with a large family at a groaning table of food and she nods at him to offer the blessing. He starts with: “Well Sir, as You can see, we have plenty . . . .” He then recounts in folksy terms a brief inventory and they eat. Some might be offended by the prayer but I can’t imagine that God is impatient with anyone, no matter how uncultured, who takes the time and the will to offer thanksgiving to the Provider of all things which we treasure.
This prompts the question of whether private and public prayer should differ. When I listen to public prayer I hear a constant refrain of thee’s and thou’s. In most cases these pronouns are used incorrectly both in number and implied respect. Current usage in English, especially in America the land of liberty and equality, makes no built-in distinction of class or position in the use of the pronoun, you. We ask the dog, “Do you want to go out?” We ask the president, “What were you thinking on immigration reform?” In either case there is no difference because of status. We are constantly reminded that, “God is no respecter of persons.” Since the differences between "thee" and "thou" are solely one of respect or intimacy and, the prayer is directed to God, why not acknowledge that He doesn’t differentiate? If we don't use these words and use the pronoun "you" instead does that make us disrespectful? I don't think so. Does He not know our hearts? I would rather use 'You" and "Your" correctly than "Thee"and "Thou" incorrectly.
I experienced this form in association with tourists from Germany. On more than one occasion I was asked why I consistently used the respectful sie (you) instead of the more familiar du (you). I replied that du was used with children, dogs and lovers and inappropriate for seasoned adults for whom I had tremendous respect. Although they pleaded that we were good friends first, they did appreciate my respectful attitude. Keep in mind that this construction was in the normal language usage of their society. I truly believe that the reason they were not offended by my usage was because they realized I knew the difference. Dual pronoun situations are common in Europe. In France it is the vous and the familiar tu. Personally, I favor the democratic use of one pronoun for second person singular.
As you know by now, I am a cynic. I believe God. I believe His Son, Jesus Christ and I abide by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Past Those, I am ever on the alert for those who would clothe their speech in prayer to impress those who hear the prayer. I believe God created the universe and everything in it. Therefore, and our Mormon brethren out west would disagree, I believe Him to be capable of understanding my pitiful prayers not only for me but for thee and thou.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Since this is a rant, let me please ask everyone to open their bibles to the last page of the text. At the top of the two columns what does it say? I’ll help you with this. It plainly says REVELATION 23! It is singular, not plural. There is no S! There never was an S! There will never be an S! What in the world is it that prompts members and priesthood alike to assign this unnecessary S?
The very first sentence makes the matter clear. “1. The Revelation of John, a servant of God, which was given unto him of Jesus Christ things which must shortly come to pass, that he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John.” It is not a series of revelations; it is one, to one man, by one Author. People constantly refer to the “mysteries” so I guess this must be one. Like many impediments to clear speech, this is probably attributable to curtailed reading skills, carelessness or just plain laziness. Stop it! Thank you.
Speaking of words, is it possible that God doesn’t understand twenty-first century English? Yours may not but mine does. He would understand my prayers if I rendered them using some obscure dialect of Mandarin Chinese.
One of my favorite movie lines, from a “great” film, which title is long forgotten, still lives in my memory. Ma and Pa Kettle are seated with a large family at a groaning table of food and she nods at him to offer the blessing. He starts with: “Well Sir, as You can see, we have plenty . . . .” He then recounts in folksy terms a brief inventory and they eat. Some might be offended by the prayer but I can’t imagine that God is impatient with anyone, no matter how uncultured, who takes the time and the will to offer thanksgiving to the Provider of all things which we treasure.
This prompts the question of whether private and public prayer should differ. When I listen to public prayer I hear a constant refrain of thee’s and thou’s. In most cases these pronouns are used incorrectly both in number and implied respect. Current usage in English, especially in America the land of liberty and equality, makes no built-in distinction of class or position in the use of the pronoun, you. We ask the dog, “Do you want to go out?” We ask the president, “What were you thinking on immigration reform?” In either case there is no difference because of status. We are constantly reminded that, “God is no respecter of persons.” Since the differences between "thee" and "thou" are solely one of respect or intimacy and, the prayer is directed to God, why not acknowledge that He doesn’t differentiate? If we don't use these words and use the pronoun "you" instead does that make us disrespectful? I don't think so. Does He not know our hearts? I would rather use 'You" and "Your" correctly than "Thee"and "Thou" incorrectly.
I experienced this form in association with tourists from Germany. On more than one occasion I was asked why I consistently used the respectful sie (you) instead of the more familiar du (you). I replied that du was used with children, dogs and lovers and inappropriate for seasoned adults for whom I had tremendous respect. Although they pleaded that we were good friends first, they did appreciate my respectful attitude. Keep in mind that this construction was in the normal language usage of their society. I truly believe that the reason they were not offended by my usage was because they realized I knew the difference. Dual pronoun situations are common in Europe. In France it is the vous and the familiar tu. Personally, I favor the democratic use of one pronoun for second person singular.
As you know by now, I am a cynic. I believe God. I believe His Son, Jesus Christ and I abide by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Past Those, I am ever on the alert for those who would clothe their speech in prayer to impress those who hear the prayer. I believe God created the universe and everything in it. Therefore, and our Mormon brethren out west would disagree, I believe Him to be capable of understanding my pitiful prayers not only for me but for thee and thou.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Saturday, September 8, 2007
DIY
Do it yourself! Since we live in an environment of limited resources, this is our battle cry. Out of necessity, we take stewardship to an extreme. When Jan and I were first married back in ’84 she stood amazed in the kitchen one day when I returned from the garage with tools in hand to disassemble our Sunbeam electric mixer, repair wire connections and restore the little beast to good working order. She had received it as a gift four years earlier and complained that, “It sure didn’t last very long.” At the time, she didn’t realize she had married a serious do-it-yourselfer. Last week, in its twenty-seventh year of service, it was used to prepare the makings of a delicious chocolate pie. God is good!
Over the years, she has endured, with great patience, many a patch and repair job executed with a book in one hand and a wrench in the other. My theory is that if a man designed it, a man can repair it. This of course is not always true. There are some things which go past my capacity to repair. Automobiles have been engineered beyond my experience and the manuals now read like ancient Egyptian. Computers—well, you know the story on that. When projects require complex electrical wiring with safety issues, I tend to err on the side of prudence. Past those, I’ll tackle about anything.
I recently added nearly 200 sq. ft. of living space to our home which required some degree of skill in about twenty different building trades. Genius at work? No, just a guy with a full shelf of manuals in the library and a well equipped shop. Having good quality, well maintained and sharp tools is better than a full time helper. They fulfill their individual roles with efficiency and they don’t talk all the time.
We live on twenty densely wooded acres of oak, walnut and occasional other deciduous trees. In the center stands about four acres of grass. I bought a 54”mower from Sears when I moved here and soon learned that on this rocky knob you need a comprehensive knowledge of mower repair and maintenance. I stock more repair parts for this model than any local Sears Service Center. Seriously, I maintain sufficient stock to qualify for the wholesale replacement rate. In the fourth mowing season I find new problems still arise that I had never encountered previously.
In 1976, because of my own sinful devices and the church’s ongoing descent into apostasy, I found myself cast adrift without a church to rely upon. I really could have used some congregational support at that time but I was in a business which involved constant travel. I would attempt to find a church in some town I was visiting and soon found out the doctrine inside didn’t match the name on the outside. This pattern continued and I became more and more discouraged.
It was then I came to the decision that I should just make it a do-it-yourself project. I had the manuals. The Inspired Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants were there for me. I had wise counsel anytime I choose to seek help. Whenever sought, God helped me to find the right path. To use a carpentry metaphor, I did bang my thumb with the hammer a time or to. Instead of pointing out my clumsiness, He instead, provided the right direction upon my acknowledgement and repentance..
As time went on, with God’s help things just got better and better. In 1980, he helped me find a solution to my problems with alcohol. In 1984, he directed me (I mean literally) to my beloved spouse. Each successive year, under His guidance, I was led to a deeper understanding and a stronger faith. He had provided a loving spouse, faithful friends and the return of my family to a joyous circle. In 2003 He gave the most momentous gift to date: He, through His Spirit, brought Jan into the fellowship of Jesus Christ and the Saints. A couple years earlier I had started to share with a group of dedicated followers in the Las Vegas living room group, my first regular attendance in twenty five years. Despite a lengthy absence, the continuation seemed as familiar as an old shoe.
In retrospect, the survival of my faith for those twenty five years is indeed a miracle. Were there temptations along the way? Indeed there were but, He was there for me. He did not allow me to sink into denial, criticism or doubt. In the final analysis, we are all in a do-it-yourself project but we can’t do it alone. Yet, we must all account to Him individually. As I sit in the warmth of the Carthage congregation I am comforted to be in the presence of so many believers. I am even more comforted to realize the same God who guided me through difficult times is also there in that sanctuary to guide us all.
In His abiding love
Cecil Moon
Over the years, she has endured, with great patience, many a patch and repair job executed with a book in one hand and a wrench in the other. My theory is that if a man designed it, a man can repair it. This of course is not always true. There are some things which go past my capacity to repair. Automobiles have been engineered beyond my experience and the manuals now read like ancient Egyptian. Computers—well, you know the story on that. When projects require complex electrical wiring with safety issues, I tend to err on the side of prudence. Past those, I’ll tackle about anything.
I recently added nearly 200 sq. ft. of living space to our home which required some degree of skill in about twenty different building trades. Genius at work? No, just a guy with a full shelf of manuals in the library and a well equipped shop. Having good quality, well maintained and sharp tools is better than a full time helper. They fulfill their individual roles with efficiency and they don’t talk all the time.
We live on twenty densely wooded acres of oak, walnut and occasional other deciduous trees. In the center stands about four acres of grass. I bought a 54”mower from Sears when I moved here and soon learned that on this rocky knob you need a comprehensive knowledge of mower repair and maintenance. I stock more repair parts for this model than any local Sears Service Center. Seriously, I maintain sufficient stock to qualify for the wholesale replacement rate. In the fourth mowing season I find new problems still arise that I had never encountered previously.
In 1976, because of my own sinful devices and the church’s ongoing descent into apostasy, I found myself cast adrift without a church to rely upon. I really could have used some congregational support at that time but I was in a business which involved constant travel. I would attempt to find a church in some town I was visiting and soon found out the doctrine inside didn’t match the name on the outside. This pattern continued and I became more and more discouraged.
It was then I came to the decision that I should just make it a do-it-yourself project. I had the manuals. The Inspired Version of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants were there for me. I had wise counsel anytime I choose to seek help. Whenever sought, God helped me to find the right path. To use a carpentry metaphor, I did bang my thumb with the hammer a time or to. Instead of pointing out my clumsiness, He instead, provided the right direction upon my acknowledgement and repentance..
As time went on, with God’s help things just got better and better. In 1980, he helped me find a solution to my problems with alcohol. In 1984, he directed me (I mean literally) to my beloved spouse. Each successive year, under His guidance, I was led to a deeper understanding and a stronger faith. He had provided a loving spouse, faithful friends and the return of my family to a joyous circle. In 2003 He gave the most momentous gift to date: He, through His Spirit, brought Jan into the fellowship of Jesus Christ and the Saints. A couple years earlier I had started to share with a group of dedicated followers in the Las Vegas living room group, my first regular attendance in twenty five years. Despite a lengthy absence, the continuation seemed as familiar as an old shoe.
In retrospect, the survival of my faith for those twenty five years is indeed a miracle. Were there temptations along the way? Indeed there were but, He was there for me. He did not allow me to sink into denial, criticism or doubt. In the final analysis, we are all in a do-it-yourself project but we can’t do it alone. Yet, we must all account to Him individually. As I sit in the warmth of the Carthage congregation I am comforted to be in the presence of so many believers. I am even more comforted to realize the same God who guided me through difficult times is also there in that sanctuary to guide us all.
In His abiding love
Cecil Moon
Thursday, September 6, 2007
“The Death of Outrage”
Nine years ago, Bill Bennett published a book entitled “The Death of Outrage.” It largely dealt with the attitude of a nation so blasé it refused to acknowledge intolerance for a chief executive who lied to cover his peccadilloes in the white house. Even after being impeached by the House of Representatives and losing his law license as a result of his crimes, tens of millions of American voters chose to overlook the facts and excused him saying, “It was just sex.”
The cry went up that “everybody does it.” Given the record of our Congress, on both sides of the aisle, it may be a valid defense. If you are looking for righteous behavior, Capitol Hill is a poor place to start. Crimes ranging from manslaughter (Kennedy, D Mass.) to soliciting sex in a men’s room (Craig, R Idaho), demand a comprehensive use of our criminal codes to identify the miscreants just in Congress. To identify each person in Congress who has violated our country’s laws in one paragraph each would require an article equivalent to everything that has been written in this blog since its inception times ten.
To further identify local officials who have ignored the laws of man and God at state, county and municipal levels would require a library full of books. Rarely are these criminals incarcerated or fined out of existence. Many continue to pursue their careers and gain re-election. Having lived in twenty different states over the last fifty five years as an adult voter I may have more acquaintance with some of these local yokel shenanigans than some. I am also certain that you, dear reader, could supply me with more horror stories which I have never previously heard.
So what? Everybody does it! That’s the point. Why do we tolerate it? In my lifetime both in and out of the church I have met many, many people with sufficient character to be trusted to make decisions for my life which I know would be fair. Where do these people hide out on Election Day? As a church, although many would wish it, we cannot operate in a vacuum. We in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of all people should understand the result of persecution by officialdom. We have in our history, a slain prophet put down by a mob with the tacit approval of local government. Well, you say, that couldn’t possibly happen today. Baloney! It can and does happen here. During the last year, you could follow the career of the Durham, NC prosecutor who threatened the freedom of three fine young men at the university with loss of freedom for thirty years each over a bogus rape charge. He hoped to inflame racial elements in the community to secure his re-election. Well, you may say, that doesn’t concern the Saints.
Oh, but it does concern us. Where injustice prevails for some, it prevails for everyone. If you are not outraged by the thought of three innocent (the intervening state authorities declared their innocence) young men spending thirty years behind bars for the personal aggrandizement of a rouge prosecutor then I truly believe we are reading different versions of the Bible. We are remiss if we tolerate false witness at any level. Total honesty is required in all our affairs. That includes our church.
Today, we have the means and the technology to keep meticulous records of what has been said and written on every subject imaginable. I personally applaud this development. The sanitizing effect of sunshine in our affairs allows us to make far better appraisal of men and their ideas. Openness also helps immeasurably to detect hidden agendas and personal ambitions on the part of those who would lead. If one submits thoughts on the internet it abides forever. As an example, a very lengthy thread (What’s in a Name) was deleted from a prominent discussion board. We copied, filed and printed the entirety of the thread in anticipation of just that action. You can burn books, you can silence priesthood, but can you locate every hard drive that took the same action we did? I hope that the days of decisions emanating from “smoke filled rooms” are nearing an end. I repeat from previous posts: “What in the world is going on in there that you don’t want us to hear?”
We must, for our survival as a church, demand integrity at its highest levels from those who would lead. One of our revered founding fathers—Samuel Adams—once said: “The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men.” We must examine the baggage they are carrying for hints of personal goals and things not of God. As a man, I would ask myself if I would embrace this man as a working partner in my business. As a woman, I might question whether he has those characteristics I would find desirable as a husband and father. In either case, talking a good game just doesn’t cut it. Living and working as a devoted servant of Jesus Christ beyond self are the criteria for service to the Lord at the highest levels.
Bill Bennett’s question is as valid now as it was nine years ago when he published “The Death of Outrage” Are we so inured to misbehavior that we numbly accept everything which is spoon fed to us? Does the well dressed, glib, and personable seeker of higher office have an intensely personal relationship with God or is he merely a well wrapped package? There is no need to have doubts about any of these men. Our loving God has invited— no—commanded us to accept His wisdom when we have doubts about anything. Pray to Him and beg for His counsel. You will know His answer. If you still don’t know, pray again and again until you do know.
I firmly believe that we are entering a time when accountability and repentance should be paramount in the hearts of all Saints. Repentance leads to forgiveness and redemption to further the work of the Kingdom. If every single person in our midst does not understand this, then God help us.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
The cry went up that “everybody does it.” Given the record of our Congress, on both sides of the aisle, it may be a valid defense. If you are looking for righteous behavior, Capitol Hill is a poor place to start. Crimes ranging from manslaughter (Kennedy, D Mass.) to soliciting sex in a men’s room (Craig, R Idaho), demand a comprehensive use of our criminal codes to identify the miscreants just in Congress. To identify each person in Congress who has violated our country’s laws in one paragraph each would require an article equivalent to everything that has been written in this blog since its inception times ten.
To further identify local officials who have ignored the laws of man and God at state, county and municipal levels would require a library full of books. Rarely are these criminals incarcerated or fined out of existence. Many continue to pursue their careers and gain re-election. Having lived in twenty different states over the last fifty five years as an adult voter I may have more acquaintance with some of these local yokel shenanigans than some. I am also certain that you, dear reader, could supply me with more horror stories which I have never previously heard.
So what? Everybody does it! That’s the point. Why do we tolerate it? In my lifetime both in and out of the church I have met many, many people with sufficient character to be trusted to make decisions for my life which I know would be fair. Where do these people hide out on Election Day? As a church, although many would wish it, we cannot operate in a vacuum. We in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of all people should understand the result of persecution by officialdom. We have in our history, a slain prophet put down by a mob with the tacit approval of local government. Well, you say, that couldn’t possibly happen today. Baloney! It can and does happen here. During the last year, you could follow the career of the Durham, NC prosecutor who threatened the freedom of three fine young men at the university with loss of freedom for thirty years each over a bogus rape charge. He hoped to inflame racial elements in the community to secure his re-election. Well, you may say, that doesn’t concern the Saints.
Oh, but it does concern us. Where injustice prevails for some, it prevails for everyone. If you are not outraged by the thought of three innocent (the intervening state authorities declared their innocence) young men spending thirty years behind bars for the personal aggrandizement of a rouge prosecutor then I truly believe we are reading different versions of the Bible. We are remiss if we tolerate false witness at any level. Total honesty is required in all our affairs. That includes our church.
Today, we have the means and the technology to keep meticulous records of what has been said and written on every subject imaginable. I personally applaud this development. The sanitizing effect of sunshine in our affairs allows us to make far better appraisal of men and their ideas. Openness also helps immeasurably to detect hidden agendas and personal ambitions on the part of those who would lead. If one submits thoughts on the internet it abides forever. As an example, a very lengthy thread (What’s in a Name) was deleted from a prominent discussion board. We copied, filed and printed the entirety of the thread in anticipation of just that action. You can burn books, you can silence priesthood, but can you locate every hard drive that took the same action we did? I hope that the days of decisions emanating from “smoke filled rooms” are nearing an end. I repeat from previous posts: “What in the world is going on in there that you don’t want us to hear?”
We must, for our survival as a church, demand integrity at its highest levels from those who would lead. One of our revered founding fathers—Samuel Adams—once said: “The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men.” We must examine the baggage they are carrying for hints of personal goals and things not of God. As a man, I would ask myself if I would embrace this man as a working partner in my business. As a woman, I might question whether he has those characteristics I would find desirable as a husband and father. In either case, talking a good game just doesn’t cut it. Living and working as a devoted servant of Jesus Christ beyond self are the criteria for service to the Lord at the highest levels.
Bill Bennett’s question is as valid now as it was nine years ago when he published “The Death of Outrage” Are we so inured to misbehavior that we numbly accept everything which is spoon fed to us? Does the well dressed, glib, and personable seeker of higher office have an intensely personal relationship with God or is he merely a well wrapped package? There is no need to have doubts about any of these men. Our loving God has invited— no—commanded us to accept His wisdom when we have doubts about anything. Pray to Him and beg for His counsel. You will know His answer. If you still don’t know, pray again and again until you do know.
I firmly believe that we are entering a time when accountability and repentance should be paramount in the hearts of all Saints. Repentance leads to forgiveness and redemption to further the work of the Kingdom. If every single person in our midst does not understand this, then God help us.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Lesson From a Spider
It seems as if this year has been a banner year for spiders. I don't know if it's the rain, the heat, the late spring, or the war in Iraq. But every time I walk my dogs I end up walking through enough cobwebs to make Dracula's castle look like a Coldwell Banker open house. I end up picking the sticky stuff out of my hair, scraping it off my face and clothes, wiping it from my shoes. They're not only outside. I've worn out a feather duster keeping them at bay around doors, windows, under desks, in lampshades, bookcases, and appliances.
The other night as I came home from work, I was driving up the long tree lined driveway to the house and encountered miles of webbing, spread from one side of the driveway to the other. It looked a little like a scene from a bad Halloween movie as my Explorer ripped through whole villages of busy little arachnids. Yesterday I was on the way to town, and as I opened the car door something dropped from underneath the door handle and fell at my feet. I had just enough time to recognize a fairly good-sized spider before it quickly recovered and climbed back up its thread to hide beneath the door handle again.
I hate killing things. I do my best to avoid turtles, squirrels, birds, snakes, and any other hapless creature that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Flies, mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks and ants are another matter. But for the most part, I'd rather relocate than exterminate. In the case of this particular creature, I talked Cec out of relocating it with the bottom of his shoe, wrapped it in a piece of Kleenex and deposited it in some tall weeds at the edge of the woods. As I left the area it was clinging to a leaf.
About five hours later the dogs and I walked past the weeds where I'd left the spider. There, spread among the greenery, was a huge cobweb, and my friend busily putting the finishing touches on its abode. Several things ran through my head. The first was that it hadn't wasted any time. It couldn't have. The amount of work that had gotten done in those few hours by this creature in proportion to its size was mind boggling. The second thought was that it didn't look any the worse for wear for having been ripped from its home, transported to another part of the planet, and rudely dumped in the weeds. Its God given instinct was sustaining it and survival was apparent. There had been no time taken for "Woe is me."
What a bunch of whiners we are! The wandering Israelites spent all their free time bellyaching to Moses. Every time things started going well they went back to their idol worship. Jesus preached about our hangups with worldly things. Even when He was gathering his disciples some of them wanted to stay behind and continue fishing. Or collecting taxes. Or whatever they happened to be doing. So much time is spent on the "yeah, but I gotta do this." Whatever "this" happens to be can be yanked out from under us at any moment. Remember Katrina.
Back to my spider. The night she (I think of her as a she, because it's the female who builds the web and catches lunch and kills her husband—another issue for another time.) was swept away from her home in the woods, she managed to pull herself to safety beneath the door handle. By the time I disrupted her again she had gotten a good start on building her nest in that confined space between the pull-up handle and the door of the Explorer. She made do. Then I came along and destroyed it all again. Bummer!
This morning, less than eighteen hours after being transported from car to woods, her web is a good two feet, stretching from low hanging branches of an oak tree to the tops of some unidentifiable weeds, which happen to have produced pretty yellow flowers this year. She is perched in the center, awaiting either lunch or unsuspecting husband. No time for poor-me or I've-lost-my-home or how-can-I-cope-in-this-new-place. Life goes on and, on this particular day, life is good. She is one of God's creatures, doing what God's creatures do, until the intellect and the "ME" enter the equation. I don't believe that, save for a very close walk with God, clinging to the Rod of Iron, and the certain knowledge that something better waits for me—for us all—I could do half of what that spider does—routinely
My prayer is that I can use the gifts which God has bestowed, to make do with what is before me, trusting Him for not only the little things but for the major catastrophes as well. Can I do this with a minimum of whining and complaining? God help me, I don't know.
In His Love
Seeker
The other night as I came home from work, I was driving up the long tree lined driveway to the house and encountered miles of webbing, spread from one side of the driveway to the other. It looked a little like a scene from a bad Halloween movie as my Explorer ripped through whole villages of busy little arachnids. Yesterday I was on the way to town, and as I opened the car door something dropped from underneath the door handle and fell at my feet. I had just enough time to recognize a fairly good-sized spider before it quickly recovered and climbed back up its thread to hide beneath the door handle again.
I hate killing things. I do my best to avoid turtles, squirrels, birds, snakes, and any other hapless creature that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Flies, mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks and ants are another matter. But for the most part, I'd rather relocate than exterminate. In the case of this particular creature, I talked Cec out of relocating it with the bottom of his shoe, wrapped it in a piece of Kleenex and deposited it in some tall weeds at the edge of the woods. As I left the area it was clinging to a leaf.
About five hours later the dogs and I walked past the weeds where I'd left the spider. There, spread among the greenery, was a huge cobweb, and my friend busily putting the finishing touches on its abode. Several things ran through my head. The first was that it hadn't wasted any time. It couldn't have. The amount of work that had gotten done in those few hours by this creature in proportion to its size was mind boggling. The second thought was that it didn't look any the worse for wear for having been ripped from its home, transported to another part of the planet, and rudely dumped in the weeds. Its God given instinct was sustaining it and survival was apparent. There had been no time taken for "Woe is me."
What a bunch of whiners we are! The wandering Israelites spent all their free time bellyaching to Moses. Every time things started going well they went back to their idol worship. Jesus preached about our hangups with worldly things. Even when He was gathering his disciples some of them wanted to stay behind and continue fishing. Or collecting taxes. Or whatever they happened to be doing. So much time is spent on the "yeah, but I gotta do this." Whatever "this" happens to be can be yanked out from under us at any moment. Remember Katrina.
Back to my spider. The night she (I think of her as a she, because it's the female who builds the web and catches lunch and kills her husband—another issue for another time.) was swept away from her home in the woods, she managed to pull herself to safety beneath the door handle. By the time I disrupted her again she had gotten a good start on building her nest in that confined space between the pull-up handle and the door of the Explorer. She made do. Then I came along and destroyed it all again. Bummer!
This morning, less than eighteen hours after being transported from car to woods, her web is a good two feet, stretching from low hanging branches of an oak tree to the tops of some unidentifiable weeds, which happen to have produced pretty yellow flowers this year. She is perched in the center, awaiting either lunch or unsuspecting husband. No time for poor-me or I've-lost-my-home or how-can-I-cope-in-this-new-place. Life goes on and, on this particular day, life is good. She is one of God's creatures, doing what God's creatures do, until the intellect and the "ME" enter the equation. I don't believe that, save for a very close walk with God, clinging to the Rod of Iron, and the certain knowledge that something better waits for me—for us all—I could do half of what that spider does—routinely
My prayer is that I can use the gifts which God has bestowed, to make do with what is before me, trusting Him for not only the little things but for the major catastrophes as well. Can I do this with a minimum of whining and complaining? God help me, I don't know.
In His Love
Seeker
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