Quote of the Day

Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat.

Neal A. Maxwell

via Jocelyn

Vote

Quote of the Day

"You have your own life. You owe it to yourself and everyone around you to develop your philosophy. To examine why you think the things you do, and to withstand the praise and scorn of the diverse communities around you that can neither accept you nor reject you." iceowl

Rock the Vote

California Proposition 1
Abstract: California High Speed Rail Bond. S.B. 1856. (SF to LA)
My Vote: No
Comments: none

California Proposition 2
Abstract: Treatment of Farm Animals. Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: Ambiguous terms of compliance, should be handled by the state legislature.

California Proposition 3
Abstract: Children's Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program. Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: none

California Proposition 4
Abstract: Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. Constitutional Amendment.
My Vote: Yes
Comments: consistent with other health codes dealing with minors, sensible provisions.

California Proposition 5
Abstract: Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: none

California Proposition 6
Abstract: Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute.
My Vote: Yes
Comments: none

California Proposition 7
Abstract: Renewable Energy. Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: none

California Proposition 8
Abstract: Eliminates the Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
My Vote: Yes
Comments: Current laws provide civil rights to same-sex couples; marriage is a civic institution for supporting families, best promoted by promoting traditional marriage.

California Proposition 9
Abstract: Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
My Vote: Undecided
Comments: Still studying.

California Proposition 10
Abstract: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: Rebates inflate the market price, with no value for the consumer.

California Proposition 11
Abstract: Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
My Vote: No
Comments: none

California Proposition 12
Abstract: Veterans' Bond Act of 2008. S.B. 1572.
My Vote: Yes
Comments: none

Palo Alto Measure N:
Abstract: Palo Alto library bond election, Measure N, 2008, $76 million.
My Vote: No
Comments: I would love to vote yes on a bond for palo alto libraries, but I think it could be more fiscally efficient.

iTunes Playlist

Under African Skies (Paul Simon)
The Tower of Learning (Rufus Wainwright)
You are the Sunshine of my Life (Stevie Wonder)
Simple Gifts (Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss)
Is this How Love is Supposed to Feel (Ben Lee)
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)
My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee (Rob Gardner / Spire Chorus)

Doctrine & Covenants 64:13

And this ye shall do that God may be glorified—not because ye forgive not, having not compassion, but that ye may be justified in the eyes of the law, that ye may not offend him who is your lawgiver.

Exodus 13:21-22

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Quote of the Day

After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.
Mark Twain Adam, in Adam's Diary

prop 8 Q&A

Question:
OK. i just got off the phone with my mom and she was going off about prop 8 and signs being stolen, etc. i had her give me a run down of the day-to-day effects that prop 8 not passing would have. in other words, i see the principles involved, but if we're in favor of domestic partnerships having ALL the same rights and privileges as traditional marriages, then what difference does it make whether 8 passes?

the first thing she said was that churches could be sued for not marrying same sex couples. i asked zp about that and he said it was a red herring -- freedom of religion would prevent that from happening. my mom said she's read cases. i'm coming to you for the real scoop.

Answer:
Great question... and I have a long response :) - please feel free to pick it part

According to California law (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fam&group=00001-01000&file=297-297.5) Registered Domestic Partners are given the same rights as married spouses. But although that code extends the privileges of spouses to domestic partners, it does not necessarily expand laws involving families or marriages to include domestic partnerships. For example, a requirement to teach children in public schools about marriage does not necessarily require that domestic partnerships be taught as well. That is one of the primary points that one of the more recent Yes on 8 ads makes and it is founded upon an experience by a couple in Massachusetts (where same-sex marriage is legal) - that opening this up will require that where marriage is used, it will need to include both heterosexul and well as homosexual marriages. So, while those against prop 8 argue that there is no impact to families, children, etc. of course that is not true.

Anywhere the term marriage is used in a law, then that law will clearly expand and change with this redefinition. This redefinition of marriage will affect existing laws referencing marriage and it will be a law that other laws will be founded upon. A precedent will be set and the interpretations that will follow may be quite far-reaching (as it will evolve over time and over generations). We can only speculate what its effects may be.

Now all of this, of course, means that there is indeed a legal distinction between the privileges of a marriage and those of a domestic partnership (as the Opposition truthfully states). Which then begs asking the following questions: Are the rights of domestic partnerships sufficient? Are the privileges of marriage a civil right? This is where the Yes on 8 would say yes - the domestic partnership is sufficient and no - the privileges of marriage are not a civil right. The No on 8 of course argues the opposite. I personally believe that some privileges (such as driving licenses and, yes, marriage licenses) are not rights, but are granted by the government according to standards in the community's best interest.

That is regarding the differences between the two. I have thoughts on freedom of religion, but I'll save that for later :)

kt

ps
The French National Assembly commissioned a study / report on this very issue and you can read the English abstract here:
http://www.preservemarriage.ca/docs/France%20-%20summary.pdf

Particularly interesting that a socially liberal European nation is more willing to thoughtfully study and research the issue before redefining social norms than the state of California is :) Instead we use judges and propositions to emotionally address social policy....

MIA: why

Traveling to this (where I saved these), then taking this to visit these relations, while traveling for business here.

Where I will be until weekend.

love
kt

Kunstkammer by Jack Gilbert

We are resident inside the machinery,
a glimmering spread throughout the apparatus.
We exist with a wind whispering inside
and our moon flexing. Amid the ducts,
inside the basilica of bones. The flesh
is a neighborhood, but not the life.
Our body is not good at memory, at keeping.
It is the spirit that holds on to our treasure.
The dusk in Italy when the ferry passed Bellagio
and turned across Lake Como in the hush to where
we would land and start up the grassy mountain.
The body keeps so little of the life after
being with her eleven years,
and the mouth not even that much. But the heart
is different. It never forgets
the pine trees with the moon rising behind them
every night. Again and again we put our
sweet ghosts on small paper boats and sailed
them back into their death, each moving slowly
into the dark, disappearing as our hearts
visited and savored, hurt and yearned.

Doctrine & Covenants 127:4

Let ... all the works which I have appointed unto you be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.

The Echo at Stanford

Tonight my dear friend Peachie and I went to the Echo on Stanford campus. The Echo is just north of MemChu and is a circle of stonework with an inlaid bench. At the foot of the bench, also in a circle is the following:

For the troubled may you find peace
For the despairing may you find hope
For the lonely may you find love
For the skeptical may you find faith

In the very center is a spot where you can stand and hear your voice echo.

Say You Love Me by Jack Gilbert

Are the angels of her bed the angels
who come near me along in mine?
Are the green trees in her window
the color I see in ripe plums?
If she always sees backward
and upside down without knowing it
what chance do we have? I am haunted
by the feeling that she is saying
melting lords of death, avalanches,
rivers and moments of passing through.
And I am replying, "Yes, yes.
Shoes and pudding."

Q&A: Prop 8

Question:
It bothered me last night when they said that civil unions already have the same civil rights as married couples because I don't believe that is true. I wanted to do some research on this and thought I would reach out to you to see if you know. It seems that, for example, you cannot jointly adopt if you are in a civil union (and you obviously can if you are married). I want to be sure on this point because while it won't change my stance, it does take away our credibility if we say things that aren't true. We are better off being honest about that. So, do you know about the difference in civil rights?

Answer:
So many laws include the word "marriage" - perhaps more than can possibly be collected in a summary list - which would of course not envelope civil unions. So, I would say that you are correct that civil unions are not technically the same as marriages in terms of legal benefits, etc. However, I believe that when it comes to civil rights (perhaps not civil benefits), it is not inaccurate to say that they are the same.

That being said, I agree with you in that I don't think that saying they are the same is an effective argument (since, technically it is not true). In terms of arguing this rationally, my recommendation is to challenge the opposition's current method of framing this as a civil rights issue, and instead perhaps discuss the concept of a license - and the concept of using legal and social policy to prohibit, permit, or promote behaviors. Since heterosexual married couples have consistently been identified as the ideal model for a family, it is sensible to retain it as the legal definition of marriage. It doesn't mean we prohibit or penalize other relationships, but we should promote the best (as outlined by social research, not necessarily religious beliefs, although in this case, they may be the same).

There is an excellent resource that the French National Assumbly published in line with this. France, a notably socially liberal country, has determined to maintain traditional marriage and civil unions (rather than promoting same-sex marriage) due to social research findings. It is worth re-emphasizing in discussions that this is a very emotional issue, but that as we look at other nation's examples, it is worth looking at research before hastily shaking up the social norms that have evolved through common law for perhaps good reason. I also often follow up a 1:1 discussion with my personal religious doctrinal beliefs about gender and marriage. I find most people respect them and do not disagree (even if they do not fully agree) with them.

News article on the French Report:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06021601.html
English Translation of the French Report:
http://www.preservemarriage.ca/docs/France%20-%20summary.pdf

I hope this is helpful,
kt

Quote of the Day

There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.
Homer

Let Love Be the Lodestar of Your Life by Gordon B. Hinckley

The Church is moving forward because it is true. It is growing because there is a broadening love for that truth. It is growing because of a love for God, a love for the Savior, a love for neighbor, and a strengthening spirit of love in the homes of the people. It is this love which is the great constant in all of our work. It stems from that love which is divine:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.)

Love is like the Polar Star. In a changing world, it is a constant. It is of the very essence of the gospel. It is the security of the home. It is the safeguard of community life. It is a beacon of hope in a world of distress.

Great beyond comprehension is the love of God. He is our loving Eternal Father. Out of His love for us, He has given an eternal plan which, when followed, leads to exaltation in His kingdom. Out of His love for us, He sent His Firstborn into the world, who, out of His own divine love, gave Himself as a sacrifice for each of us. His was an incomparable gift of love to a world that largely spurned Him. He is our great exemplar. We should let love become the lodestar of our lives, with the absolute assurance that, because of the love of God our Eternal Father and His own beloved Son, our salvation from the bonds of death is sure and our opportunity for eternal exaltation is certain. Let that divine love, shed on us, be reflected from our lives onto others of our Father’s children.

It is not always easy to follow the Polar Star of love. It requires a discipline almost beyond the power of many to observe. I think it is the most difficult and also the most important of all commandments. But out of its observance comes a remarkable discipline and a refining influence that are wonderful to experience. It savors of the sweet, all-encompassing love of Christ.

Read the full talk here.

Interfaith Fast: October 12th (Sunday)

Please join an interfaith fast on Sunday, October 12th for California Proposition 8.

Whatever your professed faith may be, your faith and fasting can bring forth the powers of heaven. Please abstain from food and drink on Sunday, October 12th and please pray for a positive outcome for California's Proposition 8, that hearts may be softened, and that understanding and wisdom will prevail.

Vote your Conscience

I love this Catholic Vote video!

Provident Living: October

Seasonal Savings:

Produce:
cranberries
apples
pomegranates
grapes
sweet potatoes
pumpkins
winter squash
broccoli
spinach
lettuce

Other Food:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Soups
Broth

Non-food:
Large appliances
Lawn mowers
Grills
Tires and other car care supplies