Those of Like Minds

Ken and I have had a bit of a tough time the last couple of weeks.  As you know, our liberal NZ people passed a gay marriage bill this week.  We had a lady in the branch who isn't really well acquainted with some of our doctrine ask us what the church position on that was (hello, read the Proclamation on the Family).  She will shortly be getting a missionary visit to bring her up to date.

I guess that is the problem I see everywhere I look.  There are many in our branch who are so young or so uninformed or indifferent in the gospel that they don't know.  It becomes very discouraging and disheartening especially after just having conference, that so many don't know so much.  Ken just looked up a talk from Elder Faust that was given to 2500 lawyers at a convention that clearly explains how the Law of the Lord always trumps the law of the land.

Unfortunately, it is the common practice here to do just the opposite.  We have RM's living in partnerships (common law marriages) often with 2 or 3 children and they think they are okay because the law says it is okay.  The younger generations have pretty much given up on living the laws of God and their parents make it easy for them to do that.  Mom and dad say they can decide what they want to do because they are old enough etc.  I'm sorry but a 10 or 12 year old is not old enough to decide everything about their lives.  We know many young teens that are drinking with full consent of mom and dad.

I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around this lack of desire for parents to "train up a child in the way he should go" but I am surrounded by it.  Even some members have this attitude.

Sooooooo, when I come home and start to complain, just remind me how glad I should be to have "like minded" people surrounding me.  I, at this point in time am really looking forward to that little blessing.  Right now, it is looming large in my life.  Ken struggles to teach the very few priesthood holders here how that works.  Lack of PH leadership is huge in our little branch.  I think he can't wait to come home to his quorum and have a spirited discussion with those who really know.

My best friends and support are an older couple 75 and 70 years old that we just baptized.  They don't know a lot of doctrine yet but they know what is right and that is really big to me.  I feel like I can go to them at any point in time and I will be talking to a "like minded" person.  The older generation here, I'm talking around my age and older seem to get it.  They may have been Catholic or whatever else all their lives but they rely on the Lord and have been good family people etc.  They are pretty appalled at what is happening here and around the world right now.

Thanks my family, neighbors and friends for thinking like I do, supporting the values I support, giving your hearts and souls to the right things and generally being there for one another.  Only now am I beginning to realize what an important commodity that is in this world.