Freedom and families: Decisions for eternity

This week was remarkable. 

 

How so?

 

Well, up until 9:30pm tonight I hadn't taken a single photo this week.

This may not be all that remarkable for most people, but for me the lack of photos on my memory card is as remarkable as finding a sugar ant ignoring the sweets that abound in a candy shop.

 

I did, however, enjoy some sweetness tonight as Katie baked her very first cake all by herself
(which allowed for snapping a photo or two before the week officially ended!):

 

 

 

Pretty impressive first go at cake making, eh?!  I'm so proud of Miss Katie!!  Next she's going to tackle cupcakes.  If I can convince her that jalapenos are in fact divine, then perhaps she'll venture out and try adding some chicken to her repertoire with this recipe.  :)

 

So...why no pictures?  Well, I've been insanely busy with my studies...

...and lost in thoughts about the blessings that I take for granted.  Let me mention just three:

 

1. A knowledge and understanding of the meaning and purpose of life--AND--a knowledge and understanding of the meaning and purpose of my life.

 

These last few weeks I've been attending a course on the Theory of Science.  It's been the best course I've taken here at JYU.  As we've studied various philosophers' positions on what knowledge is, how you can come to know (or not) that something is in fact true, and whether there is absolute knowledge and absolute truth, we've talked about what qualifies as science vs. a pseudoscience or outright non-science.  (Demarcating boundaries is always an interesting 'science', pardon the pun.) The discussion turned to the theories of evolution (deemed 'scientific') and of intelligent design (deemed 'non-scientific').  During the discussion about these two theories, most of the students were agreeing with the position that intelligent design should not be taught in science classes because it is not science.  Another student raised his hand and asked:

 

"Aren't both, in fact, theories?  Isn't it as far-fetched to believe that the world was created from an explosion in the universe as it is to believe that it was organized by a divine being?"

 

I was impressed by the directness and sincerity of the question.

 

The thoughts that kept running through my head during our discussions were these:

 

What we all agree on is that we do want to know whether there is absolute knowledge and truth, and whether there are universal laws (both physical and spiritual) that govern the world. 
But what we haven't yet brought up in this discussion is this:

 

So what?  Why does it matter?  What will it change/should it change about the way that we live?  What are we supposed to do with the truth and knowledge that we gain?

 

Here's why it matters and how it changes lives:

 

This week my dad celebrated his 37th anniversary as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Among the things I'm grateful for, I'm especially grateful for parents who have sought for greater light and knowledge--both secular and spiritual--and have acted on and in accordance with the knowledge that they have received by studying out of the best books and applying the principles that are taught within them.

Their commitment to live according to the truth and knowledge that they have received have brought great happiness into my life.  It's just not possible to convey in words the peace and protection that come from knowing who you are:

 

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny." 

 

Because when you have a correct understanding of who you are, it changes how you view yourself, how you view others, and how you view your relationship with others and with God.  And you also come to know how to live so as to fulfill your divine destiny.

 

The knowledge I have received by following this pattern of seeking to learn through study and by faith is among my most prized possessions.  It is absolutely priceless. 

 

I'm not normally this personal on my blog,
but I feel impressed to share an email exchange between my dad and me this week. 
(Thank you, Dad, for your support in sharing this!!)

 

January 29, 2014

 



Hi Dad,

Happy 37th anniversary of being a member of the Church!!  (I think it's today, right?!) 

I was studying Elder Nelson's talk this morning (Decisions for Eternity) and felt a deep sense of gratitude for you and Mom--for your love and commitment to each other and to us kids.  I'm certain that I have been spared great suffering and sadness because I was brought up by parents who live the principles of the Gospel and have taught them to us. 

I love you Dad!!  I'm so grateful that you chose to act on the knowledge that you gained as you investigated the teachings of the Church.  The decisions that you (and Mom) made then, and since, have built a solid foundation of faith and faithfulness on which your posterity is able to build.

Love,

Sarah

From a footnote (#36) from Elder Nelson's talk (I interned for Dr. Fagan at the Heritage Foundation in 2001):

'Dr. Patrick F. Fagan wrote: “The indispensable building block upon which the fortunes of the economy depends [is] the married-parent household—especially the child-rich family that worships weekly. … Every marriage creates a new household, an independent economic unit that generates income, spends, saves, and invests” (“The Family GDP: How Marriage and Fertility Drive the Economy,” The Family in America, vol. 24, no. 2 [Spring 2010], 136).'

Here's how I read this quote: “The indispensable building block upon which the [eternal] fortunes/[future] of [a child] depends [is] the married-parent household—especially the child-rich family that worships weekly.

 

A portion of my Dad's response:

 

Sarah,

 

[...] Yes, today is my 37th anniversary.  I am very grateful that a friend invited me to take the discussions, and that I was in the perfect setting to say yes.  All of the things that are most important to me stem from my membership in the Church and the principles of the gospel.

 

[...]

 

Love you,

Dad

 

 

What greater happiness can be found than in family relationships?

 

 

 



 

2. Freedom to learn

 

A classmate of mine from Iran has mentioned to me on multiple occasions how he wishes he could study in the United States.  Imagine, for a moment, how you might respond if you were in my shoes this week when he said this:

 

 "I knew very early on as an undergraduate student in Iran, that there is something exceptional about the United States.  I had professors who had studied in the US, Britain, and Australia.  The professors who had earned their degrees in the US were heads and shoulders above their colleagues who had earned their degrees in Britain or Australia.  It was clear that there's something about the US system that produces highly capable and masterful scholars.  That's why I always hoped I would one day make it to the US to be able to become what they've become.

You're so lucky to be from the United States."

 

How does one respond to that?!

 

3. Freedom from civil unrest

 

I wasn't there when Martin Luther King delivered his historic address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963, but after listening to a talk given by one of my classmates from Bosnia-Herzegovina about the need for the rising generation of her country to have a vision of the kind of future they want for themselves, I felt as if I could have been there on that hot summer day.  And I felt as if her address should have been given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

Her talk was given as part of our Theory of Science course.  It was the last day of class and attendance was optional.  Only 8 people (out of 40) were in attendance.  So only 8 of us were privileged enough to be there to hear it.  Her talk addressed the theoretical underpinnings of both action research and critical realism.  She began her talk by sharing her own personal history and what led her to become a social worker in Bosnia-Herzegovina and why she will return to her country once she earns her PhD (rather than adding to the 'brain drain' by taking up permanent residence elsewhere). She said something like this:

 

"I was born in 1982 in Yugoslavia.  My country no longer exists because a civil war broke out when I was 9.  They say that our country went through a transition--a transition towards a western democracy.  I can say that living through a civil war--and seeing the effects that it has on us, the rising generation--this transition has lasted more than 20 years.  And now we're a very fragile country with more than 28% of our youth unemployed, which is 4 times the rate of other European countries. I'm the first generation of social workers in my country.  Many of my classmates who I graduated with are unemployed. Some of them have given up and taken jobs as cashiers in local grocery stores.  My generation has lost hope. My country is lacking a vision.  They don't have a vision of what we can become, what we can be.  They lack a vision!"

 

I sat there thinking to myself,

"This is a remarkable young woman. She has a vision for what her country can become. 

And she's going to go back and work to turn that vision into a reality."

 

What also struck me was that I nearly bailed on attending the class that day--like almost every other student had--because my week was INSANE and my plate overflowing with things I needed to get done (and still haven't finished).  But something kept saying, "You should go, Sarah.  Just go."  

I'm grateful for that thought that just wouldn't go away.  I would have missed out on one of the most inspired and inspiring talks I've heard. 

And I thought I was going to learn more about critical realism. 

 

I had no idea that this was her background and her story.  I had been impressed by the comments she made in class during this term.  We had eaten lunch together and chatted after a few of our classes. 

I had no idea until this last Friday that this was her story.

She is an inspiration to me.  An absolute inspiration. 

How is it that a young, unassuming woman, can grow up in a war torn country, learn English, earn her way to Finland to study so she can pursue her dreams of returning home to try to restore hope and share her vision of building a bright future for her family, friends, community, and country?

 

I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the blessings of living in a land of great freedom and opportunity. While there are many who are quick to condemn capitalism and question American exceptionalism, I would say show me another country where individuals enjoy greater freedoms, opportunities, and peace than this nation.  I am grateful for the privilege of living in a nation where we are free to speak our minds without fear of being silenced, imprisoned, or killed.

That is an exceptional freedom--one that has come at great cost. 

 

John Adams and Abigail Adams spoke of the sacrifices that were required to secure freedom for themselves and future generations:

 

"I wonder if future generations will ever know what we have suffered on their behalf."
- Abigail Adams

 

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.”

- John Adams



 God bless America. 

It's a land where we have the freedom to dream dreams, to share our visions, to live what we believe.

To practice our faith, or abstain if we so choose, to speak our minds, to study, learn, apply ourselves, and pursue our passions.

 

And God bless all those

who seek to protect and preserve freedom and families

--and defend truth--

wherever they live.