Playing for the Ancient of Days

I just wanted to briefly talk about something that has been bothering me for awhile now. The most recent example occurred when Utah's constitutional amendment about same sex marriage was overturned by a federal judge. (The point of this post is not to give you my thoughts on same sex marriage. My stance is the same as that of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-issues-statement-following-overturning-of-same-sex-marriage-ban- ) As I watched the news following the announcement of the ruling, I heard many people say how proud they were of Utah joining the ranks of the other states that have legalized same sex marriage. They were so proud that the ruling finally places Utah "firmly in this century". It is this idea of using modernism to abolish traditional morals that I want to talk about for a moment.

My problem with modernism and progressive morality is that it's primary supposition is that everything that previous generations have done and believed in is, at best, inferior to modern thought. Modernists feel that just living in "modern times" gives them superior knowledge and wisdom to that of all the generations past. This is the generational version of being a teenager. "Mom and Dad are so stupid, they don't understand the way things are today. They are so old fashioned." Generational teenagers put more trust in recent experience and peer approval than in the experience of thousands of years held by their parents.

In the Book of Mormon and man named Korihor used the same argument to convince others to follow him and to accept his teachings "that there should be no Christ" (Alma 30:12). He referred to the belief in Christ and His teachings as being "the foolish traditions of your fathers" established by "ancient priests" and "ancient prophecies" (Alma 30:23-24). So, if you believe in those "ancient" ideas, you are clearly foolish and you need to download the latest update. That is a tactic that has been used by people fighting against truth for a long time.

There are many examples of this. Here are just a few:

• The nuclear family is not needed. That is such an old idea.
• If you believe in the traditional roles of men and women, you are the stupid trophy wife of the fifties.
• The constitution was written over 200 years ago. It is full of old ideas and not adequate for our modern times.

So, be wary of people who try to make you feel foolish, inferior, or less intelligent because you espouse a belief in moral truths that have been held by "ancient" people. I am not trying to say that there have not been bad people, bad ideas, or bad practices in the past. We just need to be very careful when making decisions to part company with our ancestors. Judeo-Christian values and morals have been tested over thousands of years. Adam, the Ancient of Days, and Eve were the first of many generations to see the overwhelming personal and societal benefits of those values. May you and I not be so prideful as to think we are smarter or wiser than they just because we live in our "modern" age. So, if today's generational teenagers mock you because your moral ground is not "firmly in this century", don't feel alone. You are in good company.

On Being a Ringer

For as long as I can remember my family has read The Polar Express on Christmas Eve night before going to bed. As kids, we would always get so excited to read it because it meant that Christmas and presents were just on the other side of closing our eyes. We used to all sleep in the same room, some beds, some in sleeping bags. After getting ready for bed, we would all lay or sit down and someone would read the book. It was always one of highlights of the holiday. In more recent years I remember reading it together and laughing ourselves to tears, as my brother read the story, inserting hilarious additions to the text. And in even more recent years, I have read it to my children, in the same way my parents read it to me.

What is it about that story that has made it such a success? Why does it never get old? It can't be that it is about Santa or Christmas, there are tons of stories with those themes. Maybe it is that we've all looked out the window on some Christmas Eve hoping to see a giant train hissing steam in front of our house. Maybe it's the illustrations, which are really quite fabulous. Maybe it's that our imaginations ogle such verbal images like drinking hot cocoa as think as melted chocolate bars.

While all those things certainly don't hurt the story's survivorship, I think the real reason is something a bit more profound. How many of us have gotten to the end of the book, when he talks about his parents, friends, and even his sister not being able to hear the bell, and wondered, perhaps with a little bit of angst, would the bell ring for me? I think the number of people with "ears to hear" (Matt 13:9) is getting smaller all the time. However, I think the real lesson of the story is not just will we hear the bell, but will we be ringers?

The boy upon hearing the bells on Santa's sleigh describes them as making the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. The glad tidings of The First Gift of Christmas truly is the most beautiful sound one could hear and it really does fill the "soul with exceedingly great joy" (1 Nephi 8:12). But the boy was only entrusted with the bell when he, having the opportunity to choose anything else in the world, chose the bell. Santa gave it to him because he knew the boy would ring it.

So, the question is not would we hear the bell, but would we choose the bell and would we ring it "on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere"? That is what qualifies us to be entrusted with the bell, even those of us whose pockets at times seem to be nothing but holes. May you and I always choose to be faithful ringers. Merry Christmas!

Safemakers

No, I'm not talking about people that forge giant metal boxes with combination and biometric submarine hatches on them. I'm not talking about money, documents, jewelry, or guns, though it has much to do with things of value. I'm talking about gifts.

We all come into this life with certain gifts, certain abilities that seem to come naturally to us. We are also given the chance and the challenge to acquire gifts that may not come so readily (1 Cor 12:31, D&C 46:8-9). I was reminded today of one of "the best gifts" we can have in life. My wife returned home from church, it was my turn to stay home with our newborn, and she told me about the lesson she had in her class. The topic, difficult for almost any teacher, was mental illness. She told me how the teacher had a remarkable ability to help the members of the class feel safe so that they could share their feelings and their experiences without reservation. The result was an unfettered conversation in which many were touched, eyes were opened, and bonds between people were strengthened.

The ability to make others feels safe in your presence is the gift I'm talking about. It is of inestimable worth and it allows you and I to get past walls that may seem to be impenetrable. It gives us the ability to lift and influence others for good when we would otherwise meet withdrawal and distrust. Real and honest love is the source of this gift. It cannot be faked or feigned in anyway without immediate detection by the wary, and often weary, soul. It comes when people know that they will be loved regardless of any information they might divulge or any shortcoming they might have.

Trust is a precious thing that, once lost, is extremely difficult to recover. If people are going to trust you with their thoughts and emotions, you have to prove to them that you can be " true at all times to whatsoever thing [you are] entrusted" (Alma 53:20). You have to prove that your "faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death (D&C 121:41-44). The person that can do that is a safemaker, and like a peacemaker, he or she can go into hearts that others can't. May we all pray for and seek after this gift.

Intro to the Blog

My name is Andrew Frost. I'm a 33 year old husband and a father of 3 from Davis County, UT. I have been slow to enter the blogging world, relying entirely upon my good wife's abilities to manage the family blog. But for whatever reason, I feel driven to start this blog on my own. I don't anticipate that it will change the world, but I hope that it will be of some help to you who take the time to read it. My thoughts will most certainly be imperfect and my prowess of prose will probably leave much to be desired. However, maybe it will turn out to be a great way to share with you the things I'm learning and for me to gain wisdom from your thoughts and comments.

As you may have gathered from the title of the blog, I intend it to be somewhat religious in nature, but it certainly won't be limited to strictly religious topics. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, and my thoughts will be painted with hues of that background. I will try to present LDS teachings the truest that I can, recognizing that I do not represent the Church nor should my personal thoughts be taken as the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on any given subject. I will refer often to the scriptures accepted and used by the Church, which include: the King James Version of The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. If any of you would like to know more about the origin of these scriptures, I would be happy to give you more information. I will also be referring often to the words of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, both past and present. I consider them to be prophets and apostles in every sense of those words.

I view the world through the lenses of the plan of our Father in Heaven. Everything I see gets shaped and interpreted by my understanding of who God is, what His purpose is for us, and who we are in relation to Him and to each other. They are reality to me, and I cannot separate the elements of daily life from those truths. In this blog I will be discussing current issues and events, and I hope to accurately portray how they fit into the paradigm that I have mentioned. I hope that you will participate and help me to learn and understand the world and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The real purpose behind starting this blog can be found it its title. It is three-fold:

1. To Reveal Wolves:  In the sermon on the mount Jesus gave us this injunction, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matt 7:15). Though most of the time these wolves take the form of ideas, philosophies, and tactics, I hope to be able to show them for what they really are with your help.
2. To Be Better Sheep:  Through this blog I hope to improve my sheep-ish-ness and become a better person and follower of Jesus Christ. May it do the same for you.
3. To Listen for the Shepherd:  Jesus taught that his sheep "know his voice" and "follow him" (John 10:4). I hope that, with your help, we can all be better able to recognize The Shepherd's voice and have the faith to come quickly whenever and wherever He calls.

In the end, I hope that the things shared on this blog will accomplish some measure of good, both for you, for me, and for any others that we might influence. Please have patience with my imperfections and help me to learn through your comments. On to the pastures!