Beautifully Written, I'm from Utah, I have my own views, and feel very safe at voicing them when appropriate. I get to do it around certain people, not all, but try to imbed, that a conversation, stating my beliefs and my views, are just that, mine. So very sad this happened to this family, beliefs and values aside, it is a tragic event, and so sad that we as Americans can not learn to "disagree better". It's my hope.
Great article! I grew up in the beautiful neighborhood of the Avenues and graduated from West High in the mid-90s. I loved my childhood neighborhood and still consider it the center of my world, even though I have lived in and loved the Pacific Northwest, in central Missouri, and in the bustling DC Metro region. I have now lived in Saratoga Springs for 16 years and work in Lehi near Thanksgiving Point. To call Utah my home is an understatement.
The fact that this tragedy occurred here in my beloved state is so alarming that it has caused me to seriously reflect on the LDS Church/Christian values upon which our state's culture was built. It is making me reshape my understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and more, what it means to me to keep my covenant to "take His name upon me".
Does it mean I need to be a peacemaker? Yes, of course. But what is a peacemaker? Is it someone who is docile and permissive? Is it someone who, in the name of acceptance and not wanting to stir the pot, permits or even celebrates the immoral actions of others? Or is a peacemaker someone who joins a group to actively argue with or physically fight against terrorist groups like Antifa? The answer to this question is complicated, to be sure. Perhaps the answer lies in our very culture.
Back in the 1990s, I remember my mom drove me to soccer practice as a teenager at the old Rowland Hall school field off of 900 E & 800 S. Our route would take us past the Planned Parenthood building, and I asked my mom what they did there. Reluctantly, she told me they helped young women receive abortions. I wondered why members of our community, who believe strongly in the sanctity of life, weren't rising against those monsters. Why did we not have someone standing outside of that building, encouraging young women to take a different path?
As I discussed this with my parents, family, and friends, I realized that with issues like abortion, we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, work first and foremost within the scope of our responsibility, namely, our own family on an individual basis. Then, if we have a responsibility over a ward or stake as a bishop or stake president, we work within those bounds. So, in short, we do what we can over which we have authority. And we do our best to point the individual offender to Christ, at which point that person will take the necessary steps to make decisions that will prevent her from having an abortion and giving that child up for adoption.
Secondly, I was reminded of two of our Articles of Faith, specifically 11 & 12. AofF 11 basically states that all people can worship what and when they want, and that we expect to be afforded that same privilege. AofF 12 basically states that we are to follow the law of the land. These two principles are so ingrained in our LDS culture that they help us accept people who believe differently from us, and that if the law is something we disagree with, it is not up to us to personally overthrow that law. However, LDS people are actively involved in leadership positions, especially in the United States, and they work within the system to change laws, like Roe v. Wade, with which they disagree.
So, no, members of the LDS Church rarely stand on a sidewalk outside of a Planned Parenthood protesting, or marching to the state capitol for this or that, or take up arms against the trans-mafia that seems to have infiltrated our communities, even at an emotionally heightened time like this. Rather, you will likely see us circling the wagons around our families, working to lift members of our wards and stakes, and working within the system to generate the changes that need to be made.
Still, I struggle with the question of how I need to personally handle this mess. Do I become more vocal on socials, or will that be just another voice that will be drowned out by all the other noise? Should I do anything at all and rather just focus on my business and kids? For now, I am simply doing the basics -- loving my family, working hard, doing what I can in my own neighborhood to help others -- and time will eventually tell what I can do more. And, Clint, I'd be happy to discuss options with you to help the Silicon Slopes community.
Beautifully Written, I'm from Utah, I have my own views, and feel very safe at voicing them when appropriate. I get to do it around certain people, not all, but try to imbed, that a conversation, stating my beliefs and my views, are just that, mine. So very sad this happened to this family, beliefs and values aside, it is a tragic event, and so sad that we as Americans can not learn to "disagree better". It's my hope.
Great article! I grew up in the beautiful neighborhood of the Avenues and graduated from West High in the mid-90s. I loved my childhood neighborhood and still consider it the center of my world, even though I have lived in and loved the Pacific Northwest, in central Missouri, and in the bustling DC Metro region. I have now lived in Saratoga Springs for 16 years and work in Lehi near Thanksgiving Point. To call Utah my home is an understatement.
The fact that this tragedy occurred here in my beloved state is so alarming that it has caused me to seriously reflect on the LDS Church/Christian values upon which our state's culture was built. It is making me reshape my understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and more, what it means to me to keep my covenant to "take His name upon me".
Does it mean I need to be a peacemaker? Yes, of course. But what is a peacemaker? Is it someone who is docile and permissive? Is it someone who, in the name of acceptance and not wanting to stir the pot, permits or even celebrates the immoral actions of others? Or is a peacemaker someone who joins a group to actively argue with or physically fight against terrorist groups like Antifa? The answer to this question is complicated, to be sure. Perhaps the answer lies in our very culture.
Back in the 1990s, I remember my mom drove me to soccer practice as a teenager at the old Rowland Hall school field off of 900 E & 800 S. Our route would take us past the Planned Parenthood building, and I asked my mom what they did there. Reluctantly, she told me they helped young women receive abortions. I wondered why members of our community, who believe strongly in the sanctity of life, weren't rising against those monsters. Why did we not have someone standing outside of that building, encouraging young women to take a different path?
As I discussed this with my parents, family, and friends, I realized that with issues like abortion, we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, work first and foremost within the scope of our responsibility, namely, our own family on an individual basis. Then, if we have a responsibility over a ward or stake as a bishop or stake president, we work within those bounds. So, in short, we do what we can over which we have authority. And we do our best to point the individual offender to Christ, at which point that person will take the necessary steps to make decisions that will prevent her from having an abortion and giving that child up for adoption.
Secondly, I was reminded of two of our Articles of Faith, specifically 11 & 12. AofF 11 basically states that all people can worship what and when they want, and that we expect to be afforded that same privilege. AofF 12 basically states that we are to follow the law of the land. These two principles are so ingrained in our LDS culture that they help us accept people who believe differently from us, and that if the law is something we disagree with, it is not up to us to personally overthrow that law. However, LDS people are actively involved in leadership positions, especially in the United States, and they work within the system to change laws, like Roe v. Wade, with which they disagree.
So, no, members of the LDS Church rarely stand on a sidewalk outside of a Planned Parenthood protesting, or marching to the state capitol for this or that, or take up arms against the trans-mafia that seems to have infiltrated our communities, even at an emotionally heightened time like this. Rather, you will likely see us circling the wagons around our families, working to lift members of our wards and stakes, and working within the system to generate the changes that need to be made.
Still, I struggle with the question of how I need to personally handle this mess. Do I become more vocal on socials, or will that be just another voice that will be drowned out by all the other noise? Should I do anything at all and rather just focus on my business and kids? For now, I am simply doing the basics -- loving my family, working hard, doing what I can in my own neighborhood to help others -- and time will eventually tell what I can do more. And, Clint, I'd be happy to discuss options with you to help the Silicon Slopes community.