A few weeks ago I had the chance to study 2 Nephi 4 in my personal study, our family study, and in Sunday school. I have always loved this passage of scripture. The language is beautiful. Nephi is honest and real. My heart breaks for him in his tragic situation. He just lost his father and now his brothers who he should be mourning with are becoming even more like enemies. He starts his song in sorrow and ends by praising the Lord and reaffirming his faith. I've always looked up to Nephi as a perfect example. I wish I had his faith, his obedience, his talent for pondering, and so many other things.
This time I saw something I hadn't noticed before in this chapter. In verses 31-32 Nephi is asking the Lord to redeem his soul despite his shortcomings, "O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite!..." I have always and will continue to always look up to Nephi for his strength; however, in this passage he didn't cite his strength as merit for his salvation. He pleaded to Heaven to be saved because his heart was broken and his spirit contrite. He didn't say save me because I was the only one who was obedient. He didn't say save me because I never lost faith. He didn't say save me because my trials have been so hard. He said save me because I'm doing all that I can do and repenting for the rest. He understood and relied wholly on the Atonement of Jesus Christ for his salvation.
I can and should look up to Nephi but I don't need to worry that I'm not as good as Nephi. I'll probably never be as obedient and my faith will probably falter in ways his never did. I may never learn to receive revelation the way he did. But it doesn't matter. The Lord asks for all we can do and then says his grace is sufficient for the rest. My best and Nephi's best may not be the same, but the grace of Christ applies to us both equally. I too can pray to be saved because my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite. I can't be perfect on my own. With Nephi I can rejoice in the strength of my Savior and pray for strength to become better. The gospel of Jesus Christ isn't about comparing, it's not about being as good as someone else or meeting certain bench marks of righteousness to attain salvation. It's about creating a partnership with our Savior and learning to live our lives with him.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
clarity of thought, or wo unto the hyprocites, or my political repentance
The process of writing often helps me realize what it is I really think about something. When I was a student writing papers it often occurred that I would finish up all 10 pages (why are papers always 10 pages? And why was that never enough room for me? Thoughts for another day...), write my conclusion, and then find my real thesis. The next draft would start with the preceding draft's conclusion as introduction and the process would begin again. Eventually I figured out what I really thought.
As I been pondered the last angry political post I realized, gasp, that I have some political repenting to do. And not just about writing about a conversation without first asking the person (sorry sister-in-law's husband!). I realized, although I think I've known it all along and just chose not to think too much about it, that my attitude is a big fat part of what I see as political problems. I rant and rave about the blame game and polarization and extreme politics and then I sit on my tush and choose to do nothing. I distance myself from voters who are willing to actively engage in the political process and stick my tongue out at them. I won't play until they come to my playground. I want a political party to look and think just like me before I'll step on board. But here's the thing, it's never going to look or think anything close to me if I don't dive in and share what I think. I complain about extreme politics, but people who are extremely conservative and extremely liberal are the only ones voting (hyperbole, I know). Politicians appeal to the people who elect them. If I want something different then I need to be loud enough that someone wants to appeal to me.
So here's my plan: I'm not hiding from politics anymore. I'm diving in. I'm going to do something everyday to inform myself. I'm not going to stop reading or change the radio station because I don't like the way someone is talking about something. I'm going to push my anger aside and listen. I'm going to try to see past the extreme way people talk about politics and see what the heart of the matter is. I know I can't know everything, that's why we live in a Republic, folks. But I can try to learn as much as is prudent for me in my situation. And then I'm going to join a party. And I'm going to vote in the primary. And by a party, I mean the Republican party. It's just that it still makes me a little queasy to think about and writing it makes it real. This does not mean I will always vote strait ticket Republican and it does not mean that I love the Tea Party. I'm joining this party because I feel it closer resembles me than the other alternatives. I do plan on being as involved as I can be. Like (eventually) getting involved at the local level and all that jazz. Because that's where my opinions can really be heard and actually mean something. I'm going to stop letting other people's votes count for me.
Maybe this isn't the best place or time, but I still do have issues with the party I'm about to join I need to get off my chest before I make the leap. The hardest thing for me is that I feel like this party often misses that policy applies to people. Social issues like immigration, abortion, same sex marriage, and even health care reform are not black and white issues to me. I don't believe in abortion as a practice, but my heart aches for the woman who can't see another option. I believe in the sanctity of traditional family, but it hurts when I see people who love each other and are denied basic rights that can be attained through a simple legal contract. I believe in the law, but I also believe that immigrants are people, most of whom come here with noblest of intentions. I'm not sure how I feel about health care reform, I do know that I'm an uninsured American and sometimes it sucks. I don't necessarily disagree with Republican ideas on these issues, I do disagree with the way these issues are talked about. Would it hurt to have a little compassion and recognize that we're messing with the way people make decisions and live their lives? Can we acknowledge that these issues are complex and there's more than one side to the story and there might be more than one right answer and that any right answer will probably include compromise? And can we please take notice that real people with real families live in countries with sucky governments we choose to go to war with?
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
Now that the confession is over, I need your help. Where do you get your information? What's your favorite way to stay informed? I don't have all day to read, but I don't want to only read one perspective either. Do you have a favorite news station or political blog? Is there a great podcast I can subscribe to? Thanks for your help!
As I been pondered the last angry political post I realized, gasp, that I have some political repenting to do. And not just about writing about a conversation without first asking the person (sorry sister-in-law's husband!). I realized, although I think I've known it all along and just chose not to think too much about it, that my attitude is a big fat part of what I see as political problems. I rant and rave about the blame game and polarization and extreme politics and then I sit on my tush and choose to do nothing. I distance myself from voters who are willing to actively engage in the political process and stick my tongue out at them. I won't play until they come to my playground. I want a political party to look and think just like me before I'll step on board. But here's the thing, it's never going to look or think anything close to me if I don't dive in and share what I think. I complain about extreme politics, but people who are extremely conservative and extremely liberal are the only ones voting (hyperbole, I know). Politicians appeal to the people who elect them. If I want something different then I need to be loud enough that someone wants to appeal to me.
So here's my plan: I'm not hiding from politics anymore. I'm diving in. I'm going to do something everyday to inform myself. I'm not going to stop reading or change the radio station because I don't like the way someone is talking about something. I'm going to push my anger aside and listen. I'm going to try to see past the extreme way people talk about politics and see what the heart of the matter is. I know I can't know everything, that's why we live in a Republic, folks. But I can try to learn as much as is prudent for me in my situation. And then I'm going to join a party. And I'm going to vote in the primary. And by a party, I mean the Republican party. It's just that it still makes me a little queasy to think about and writing it makes it real. This does not mean I will always vote strait ticket Republican and it does not mean that I love the Tea Party. I'm joining this party because I feel it closer resembles me than the other alternatives. I do plan on being as involved as I can be. Like (eventually) getting involved at the local level and all that jazz. Because that's where my opinions can really be heard and actually mean something. I'm going to stop letting other people's votes count for me.
Maybe this isn't the best place or time, but I still do have issues with the party I'm about to join I need to get off my chest before I make the leap. The hardest thing for me is that I feel like this party often misses that policy applies to people. Social issues like immigration, abortion, same sex marriage, and even health care reform are not black and white issues to me. I don't believe in abortion as a practice, but my heart aches for the woman who can't see another option. I believe in the sanctity of traditional family, but it hurts when I see people who love each other and are denied basic rights that can be attained through a simple legal contract. I believe in the law, but I also believe that immigrants are people, most of whom come here with noblest of intentions. I'm not sure how I feel about health care reform, I do know that I'm an uninsured American and sometimes it sucks. I don't necessarily disagree with Republican ideas on these issues, I do disagree with the way these issues are talked about. Would it hurt to have a little compassion and recognize that we're messing with the way people make decisions and live their lives? Can we acknowledge that these issues are complex and there's more than one side to the story and there might be more than one right answer and that any right answer will probably include compromise? And can we please take notice that real people with real families live in countries with sucky governments we choose to go to war with?
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
Now that the confession is over, I need your help. Where do you get your information? What's your favorite way to stay informed? I don't have all day to read, but I don't want to only read one perspective either. Do you have a favorite news station or political blog? Is there a great podcast I can subscribe to? Thanks for your help!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hi, my name is Kayce, and I'm not a Republican
A few weeks ago at a birthday party for my husband's grandfather, my sister-in-law's husband (holy smokes that was a lot of family relationships) asked me who I would be voting for in the upcoming Republican Primary. I wrongly told him I hadn't yet decided and then proceeded to launch into all of my political frustrations and anger. I feel kind of badly for the way the conversation went. He had no idea (nor did I for that matter) what was coming when he asked me such a simple question. But I also feel badly that I gave the wrong answer. I told him I hadn't yet made up my mind because I was on political hiatus and knew nothing about anyone. Oops, the correct answer is: I won't be voting for anyone because I won't be voting in the Republican primary. I'm not a Republican. Please don't stone me. At this point in my life I choose to not affiliate with a political party. My ideas are all still young and my frustrations with parties are much too intense for me to make that kind of leap. If it were an open primary, I'm certain I would vote in it. I voted in the Democratic primary in 08 because I could. Please, put your stones down and hear me out here.
One of my biggest frustrations with party politics right now is the big fat blame game. I've come out of my political hiding and started listening to the news again in the mornings when I go to the gym. This is only a small step I know, but it is a step. Let me sum up for you what I heard this morning. Republicans say that every single thing bad that has ever happened since 2008 is a direct result of President Obama. Republicans also say that any good thing that has ever happened since 2008 happened in spite of President Obama. Really, folks? Is this how we're talking about our world now? I'm not in love with President Obama's politics, and I'm not dismissing any blame (anyone else see my blame as ironic in this post?) from democrats. What I'm saying is, WE NEED TO GROW UP! I'm guessing that a large part, maybe even most, of what happened good or bad since 2008 has little to do with President Obama. I hear people saying the President can't create jobs, but they'll only vote for someone who can create jobs. The President has to cut spending and balance the budget, but please don't take away any services or find ways to increase revenue (I get that a lot of money is wasted, but I still think voters are a little ridiculous in their demands here). May the man who stands in front of the most American flags during his campaign speeches win! I don't love President Obama, but I don't think he hates America either.
I hear both parties touting their love for the Constitution and railing the other party for destroying it. I think we've all started using the Constitution as a crutch and a means to make the other guy look bad. We read what we want in it and conveniently disregard the rest. In part of the conversation I had with my sister-in-law's husband he said that he didn't agree with one candidate's stance on abortion or some other social issue like that. (please, don't misread this either, he's a great guy who is very involved and understands the importance of local and legislative politics, I highly respect his opinions). Last time I looked at Article 2 of the Constitution, the President really has little Constitutional power to deal with social issues. Maybe he can talk about it in his State of the Union address (which, by the way, was never intended to be a giant campaign speech, either). He is not granted the power of chief legislator, or America's dictator, or God, or fairy godmother. What he believes will not always come to pass in his presidency (please note that I refer to him and his because I'm lazy. I think a woman president would be super cool and perfectly capable). Honestly, I think it's high time we stop giving the President so much darn credit (good and bad) and see him for what he is, one man in a large government. I think if we put the President in his place as voters then a lot will happen to put him in his place in the government. But that means we have to stop looking at one person to fix all of our problems. It also means we have to stop blaming one person for all of our problems. Maybe that's just too much responsibility to take on.
I wish we could pay this much attention to our local elections and the elections of our representatives and senators who do have real power to deal with things like social issues.. I wish we could stop talking about who is the most conservative and who had an affair so we could find someone to be our president who has a decent head about foreign policy and can be a great Commander in Chief of our military. I wish we could stop looking for someone to fix every single little problem so we could find someone with common sense instead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)