Neil L. Anderson, Mormon Apostle

I testify to any of you who may stumble on this post, that this is real. This is not fiction. This is not the result of an elected vote of man, but of the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to His leaders who stand at the head of His Church. It “is” on the earth! The plan of salvation is restored. There is truth! There is a way to progress. There is hope. There are answers to life’s questions. I know, for I sought those answers for years, and have found them.

Back to Elder Anderson, a newly called Mormon apostle, or better expressed, apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

On of Elder Anderson’s classic talks regards the feeling of being clean. It reminded me of my own experience, which I’ll share afterwards. In his words:

There is no other joy like that of feeling free from sin through the power of the Atonement.

I remember my father awakening me one cold night in early February when I was about sixteen. I remember feeling startled; I had only been asleep about an hour. He explained that a steer from our small farm had gotten through the fence, wandered onto the highway, and been hit by a truck. The animal was dead, and to save the meat we would have to act quickly. The task ahead would prove to be an experience I could never forget.

After we dragged the steer from the road to an open shed with our old tractor, our next task was to hoist the animal up. We tied its hind feet together and then threw the rope over a beam. I remember struggling to get my arms under the animal’s hindquarters and lift as my father pulled. To lift with any effect required wrapping my whole body around the slippery animal. By the time the body was hung, the mud and stench had become ingrained in my clothes. I felt miserable, but our work had only begun.

Together my father and I cleaned the dead animal. We didn’t finish until about three in the morning. The smell, the slime, the dirt, and the filth clung to me.

I went back to the house. Although it has been twenty-five years, the events of the next hour are very vivid in my mind. I remember clearly the satisfaction of removing my shirt. Peeling off each layer of clothing brought relief. I began washing—first my hands, then my arms to the elbows. It was not the kind of dirt that would disappear quickly. Then I showered, first washing the ears, then the hair, back to the hands and fingernails, and to the hair again. It was some time before I felt satisfied that the cleansing was done.

Slipping into a clean pair of pajamas, I lay awake in bed for a while reliving the experience. It was four in the morning. I was exhausted, but the feelings of tiredness did not approach the sensational satisfaction of being washed and clean.

Yet as memorable as that experience was, there are wonderful feelings far surpassing the physical feelings I felt on that cold winter night. I speak of marvelous spiritual feelings that come through the gift of the Savior’s atonement as the layers of sin are washed away and we come to feel spiritually clean.

Mormons (Latter-day Saints) represent 13 million diverse individuals globally who love the Savior and preach His gospel, as He personally taught it while on the earth and then restored it in its fulness.

Other Misperceptions Cleared Up: Prop 8

California activists implicated the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by saying that they had not fully disclosed their efforts to support Prop 8. These allegations have been refuted and shown to be incorrect by the Church. Mormons supported the definition of marriage as the union of one man and woman, along with many other pro-family coalitions, and accounted for their involvement as required by Utah state laws.

* The Church filed seven contribution reports throughout the campaign. Earlier donations were filed for specific time periods prior to this last reporting period, as required by law.
* Reports were required to be filed in different ways: by mail, fax or electronically.
* All filings went to the California Secretary of State, the Department of Elections for the City and County of San Francisco, and the Registrar-Recorder for Los Angeles. The electronic filings were sent directly to the Secretary of State but copies were mailed to all three locations.
* The Church has no control over what filings are posted on the California Secretary of State’s Web site. Currently, not all the Church’s filings are posted.
* The Church’s donations were all in-kind and included travel expenses, compensated staff time and audiovisual production services.
* The value of the Church’s in-kind (nonmonetary) contribution is less than one half of one percent of the total funds (approximately $40 million) raised for the “Yes on 8” campaign.

The Church filed the following Proposition 8 nonmonetary contribution reports and amounts to the California Secretary of State’s office and other California officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles as required by California state law (LDS Newsroom)

United Families Utah Petition

I’m asking each of you to please read and stand firm on protecting marriage in Utah, by signing this petition on behalf of United Families that counters Equality Utah’s set of proposed bills, ultimately intended to change our voted-upon Constitutional Amendment on marriage.

Click HERE to read why this petition is so important

UNITED FAMILIES UTAH – PETITION

UNITED FAMILIES UTAH
STAND FOR THE FAMILY PETITION

I, the undersigned, recognize that these are defining moments in the preservation of marriage and family in Utah. Marriage and family are the foundation of society and should receive the highest protection under the law.

Currently, Utah legislators are convening to discuss a series of bills called The Common Ground Initiative–aimed at providing the gay community equivalent status as married couples in securing marriage benefits.

I understand that the ultimate goal of this legislation is to overturn Utah’s Constitutional Amendment 3, voted on by the people of Utah in 2004, which preserves marriage and allows no other union to have equivalent legal status before the law (See Bill 6).

I agree that these bills are an attempt to secure a package of rights equivalent to marriage…

And, while I, and those who oppose these bills, have much compassion for those who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgendered (LGBT community)…

I must draw the line in the sand and stand up for preserving the institution of marriage and family, religious freedom, and the future rights of our children.

I also acknowledge that there are rights for the LGBT community available through contractual processes already in place.

I, therefore, join with United Families Utah in standing strongly for the family and call upon all public officers and legislators in the State of Utah to oppose this package of bills.

This petition is available to sign on the UnitedFamilies.org website.

Thanks for your support.