Between a slow computer and a lack of inspiration, I've been having a hard time finding anything that I want to blog about this morning, so I'll just blog about something that's been floating around my head for the last few days: Everything is Awesome.
Everything is Awesome is pretty much THE song from The Lego Movie. Its lyrics are repetitive and ridiculous (listing things such as stepping in mud and having allergies among the list of things that are awesome), but the message, namely that of being extremely optimistic, has some merit. I think that, if we look hard enough, we can find something good, perhaps even "awesome" in just about everything. As I said recently, almost any experience can be a positive one, if you have the right attitude. Perhaps, given an incredibly optimistic attitude, everything can be seen as awesome.
But is it really wise to be THAT optimistic? It's not very realistic to be excited about "rocks, clocks, and socks," and it certainly isn't normal. But who ever said we were trying to be normal? Even if it is insane to think that everything is awesome, it's certainly going to help you be a lot happier than thinking that everything is terrible, which is just as false, if not more so. While I don't really think that everything in existence is so good that it's awesome, I think that there's at least some good in just about everything, and that we'll be a lot happier if we make the effort to see it and appreciate it than if we don't.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Everyone is Special
A few days ago, Mom came home from Costco with The Lego Movie. I've seen it three times since then, and I really love it. I love it's silly/cheesy moments. I love how everything in the Lego universe can be transformed into almost anything else. And I especially love the message of the movie - that anyone can be "The Special."
The first time I heard the phrase "Everyone is Special" from a movie was during a scene from The Incredibles in which Dash, a young boy with super-powers is talking to his mom, who also has super-powers. The family of Supers had been forced to hide their powers in an attempt to fit in with the rest of the world, "but Dad said our powers are nothing to be ashamed of - that our powers make us special," Dash said, to which his mom responded "Everyone is special, Dash," after which, Dash grumbled "That's just another way of saying no one is."
One of the few things that I dislike about The Incredibles is that they never resolve this concern. They never explain how everyone can be special and unique without "special" and "unique" becoming normal. Right now, I am ironically wearing a T-shirt that reads "You're unique - Just like everyone else," and depicts nine stick figures which are each exactly the same, indicating that there's nothing special about being unique because everyone is unique and special.
Fortunately, The Lego Movie answers that concern by having one completely normal person, followed by several others, begin to see what's so special about each of them, and unlock their potential to do extraordinary things. I hope I haven't given too much away to those who haven't seen the movie yet. I'll try to stop talking about it now.
Bishop H. Burke Peterson spoke about each of us being special when he said:
In fact, I think that last part holds true for everyone. There's no one in the world, or even the history of the world, that's better at what God wants you to do than you are. Even if someone else could fill the role that God has assigned to you, they couldn't do it as well as you could. In that way, you are special and unique, and no one can adequately take your place.
I fully believe that it's possible for everyone in the world to be unique and special. In fact, I truly believe that everyone is.
The first time I heard the phrase "Everyone is Special" from a movie was during a scene from The Incredibles in which Dash, a young boy with super-powers is talking to his mom, who also has super-powers. The family of Supers had been forced to hide their powers in an attempt to fit in with the rest of the world, "but Dad said our powers are nothing to be ashamed of - that our powers make us special," Dash said, to which his mom responded "Everyone is special, Dash," after which, Dash grumbled "That's just another way of saying no one is."
One of the few things that I dislike about The Incredibles is that they never resolve this concern. They never explain how everyone can be special and unique without "special" and "unique" becoming normal. Right now, I am ironically wearing a T-shirt that reads "You're unique - Just like everyone else," and depicts nine stick figures which are each exactly the same, indicating that there's nothing special about being unique because everyone is unique and special.
Fortunately, The Lego Movie answers that concern by having one completely normal person, followed by several others, begin to see what's so special about each of them, and unlock their potential to do extraordinary things. I hope I haven't given too much away to those who haven't seen the movie yet. I'll try to stop talking about it now.
Bishop H. Burke Peterson spoke about each of us being special when he said:
You were preserved to come to the earth in this time for a special purpose. Not just a few of you, but all of you. There are things for each of you to do that no one else can do as well as you. If you do not prepare to do them, they will not be done. Your mission is unique and distinctive for you. Please don’t make another have to take your place. He or she can’t do it as well as you can.I sometimes find it hard to imagine that there's anything that I could do better than anyone else. For each individual thing I can do, I'm sure there's someone on earth who could do it better. But each of us has a unique set of talents and abilities, and God's plans for each of us takes every aspect of ourselves into account. I'm definitely not the best blogger on the internet, or the most knowledgeable scholar of Gospel doctrine, or the best at coming up with new ideas, but when I combine those traits, it's potentially possible that I'm one of the best people in the world at seeing ordinary things, coming up with gospel-related analogies for them, and blogging about them. It's possible that blogging about new gospel-related analogies is part of God's purpose for my life, and that there's no one better at what God wants me to do than me.
In fact, I think that last part holds true for everyone. There's no one in the world, or even the history of the world, that's better at what God wants you to do than you are. Even if someone else could fill the role that God has assigned to you, they couldn't do it as well as you could. In that way, you are special and unique, and no one can adequately take your place.
I fully believe that it's possible for everyone in the world to be unique and special. In fact, I truly believe that everyone is.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Grateful for Unfortunate Circumstances
I haven't blogged about a General Conference talk for a long time, and I still have two or three sessions to cover before the next one happens. The next Conference talk on the list is President Deiter F. Uchtdorf's Sunday Morning Session talk, Grateful if Any Circumstances.
He spoke about how we often speak of being grateful for things, specifically blessings, but he recommended being grateful in any circumstance, whether we feel that we're being blessed or not. He said:
Last week, using the restroom was often inconvenient and/or unpleasant. I often had to walk a good distance, usually uphill, to find a working latrine, and when I found one, I often found that there was a very unpleasant smell to the latrine that made using the restroom an overall unpleasant experience. However, those unpleasant experiences helped me to develop sensorial fortitude (that is, it helped me develop the skill of ignoring my nose), and honestly, I should have been grateful to have access to latrines at all. Plus, for the first few days since I came home, I found myself very grateful to have convenient access to flushing toilets, sinks with soap and warm water, showers with adjustable temperatures, and other blessings, such as sidewalks and streets that don't coat your shoes and socks with dust, telecommunication, and my comfortable bed. Being temporarily deprived of blessings I tend to take for granted helped me to be grateful for blessings I've had all along.
However, President Uchtdorf also said:
Most often, you just need a little bit of perspective and patience to see how your trials work out to be blessings, and once you have that, it becomes possible to be grateful, even for your trials.
He spoke about how we often speak of being grateful for things, specifically blessings, but he recommended being grateful in any circumstance, whether we feel that we're being blessed or not. He said:
Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness is only proportional to the number of blessings we can count. True, it is important to frequently “count our blessings”—and anyone who has tried this knows there are many—but I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease.It's difficult to be grateful in times of trial, but one way to do it is to remember that God often blesses His children through their trials. Hardships can help us develop strength and wisdom, which help make us more like God. Sometimes, certain blessings can only come by way of trials, or are made sweeter by our having experienced trials before receiving the blessings.
Last week, using the restroom was often inconvenient and/or unpleasant. I often had to walk a good distance, usually uphill, to find a working latrine, and when I found one, I often found that there was a very unpleasant smell to the latrine that made using the restroom an overall unpleasant experience. However, those unpleasant experiences helped me to develop sensorial fortitude (that is, it helped me develop the skill of ignoring my nose), and honestly, I should have been grateful to have access to latrines at all. Plus, for the first few days since I came home, I found myself very grateful to have convenient access to flushing toilets, sinks with soap and warm water, showers with adjustable temperatures, and other blessings, such as sidewalks and streets that don't coat your shoes and socks with dust, telecommunication, and my comfortable bed. Being temporarily deprived of blessings I tend to take for granted helped me to be grateful for blessings I've had all along.
However, President Uchtdorf also said:
We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?
Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.While I was not necessarily pleased with having to use glorified outhouses for a week, I was certainly grateful for the opportunity to go to Scout Camp. Though some of the conditions were less than perfect, and there certainly were a few things I could have complained about, overall, I was just grateful to be there. It was an experience, but it was a good one. Actually, I find that most experiences are good ones if you know how to make challenges fun or funny, or if you learn and/or grow as a result of the experience. I may be misinterpreting the meaning of President Uchtdorf's talk, but I think that there are several tricks to turn bad experiences into good ones, and as long as you use one or two of those tricks whenever bad things happen, all experiences can be good ones.
Most often, you just need a little bit of perspective and patience to see how your trials work out to be blessings, and once you have that, it becomes possible to be grateful, even for your trials.
Monday, June 23, 2014
A Scout is...
A week ago today was the first day of camp at Camp Winton. Shortly after we arrived and got checked in, we were given an orientation course in which we learned multiple methods of moseying, how to protect our feet from toe-biting rocks, and what to do about "black mambas." In addition, we learned about the 13th, 14th, and 15th points of the Scout Law: A Scout is Thirsty, A Scout is Hungry, and a Scout is Tired. (I successfully guessed two out of three of those before being told. What threw me off from getting a perfect score was that they listed Thirsty before Hungry.) As I was thinking about additional points to the Scout Law that day and in the days following, I had experiences that caused me to think about a few points we could seriously add to the Scout Law and I wrote them down in my journal.
A Scout is Patient
The first day at Winton was great, but there were a few hiccups. Since this was the first week of camp at Camp Winton, not everything was perfectly ready. Namely, two of the latrines (Big John and Big Red II) were being renovated and were temporarily unusable. These two latrines were not only the biggest in camp, each having three rooms while each other latrine only had one, but they were also the two latrines closest to our campsite. With those latrines out of commission, all scouts and leaders were required to share access to the smaller latrines that were scattered throughout the camp. This meant longer walks to the closest usable latrines and longer waits in line when you got there.
The situation was less than optimal, but many of our boys showed patience by not complaining. The latrines were eventually completely fixed, and things were soon running much more smoothly. Sure, we had gone through what could have been considered a rough patch, but we got through it and everyone had a good time anyway.
A Scout is Honest
The Trading Post at Camp Winton sold playing card decks and one of our boys either bought a deck or brought one from home (I'm not sure which). One of the games we played is traditionally called BS, but we called it Liar. In this game, the first player plays a number of Aces (1-4) face down. The second player played Twos in a similar manner, and so on. If a player didn't have the cards they were supposed to play, they were supposed to play 1-4 cards of any number or combination of numbers they wanted, but to say that they were all cards of the number that they were supposed to play. In essence, in that game, you had to lie. We also played Mafia, a game in which the Mafia (one or two randomly and secretly selected players) were encouraged to lie so as not to be eliminated, so they could eliminate all the other players and win the game. I was surprised at how many games we played that rewarded dishonesty, but thankfully, our boys were honest when it mattered.
One of the boys had been given an amount of money that he was allowed to spend at camp, but the remainder of which he was expected to return when he got home. Someone, I'm not sure whom, suggested that the boy might keep the money and tell the lender that he had spent it, but I'm proud to say that that boy rejected that idea pretty much immediately. On Tuesday night, around a campfire, we told stories about obtaining injuries and things getting lit of fire and/or exploding, and some of the stories were pretty crazy, yet I knew that they were all or at least almost all true because our boys were at least mostly honest.
A Scout is Intelligent
I have a watch that I got before my mission, easily at least four years ago, and I've never had to change its battery. It has spent the last two years sitting on my dresser, not being used, because I have a cell phone that I use to tell time now. At Scout Camp, I wanted to save my cell phone's battery in case of emergency, so I brought my watch with me to tell time. Despite its years of use and lack of use, it still worked. The watch also had a Light feature, so I could even tell time at night. And that's where I went wrong.
Sometimes, the light feature wouldn't work so well. At the time, I thought it was just because the watch was kind of old, so maybe the light feature just wasn't working so well anymore. Rather than using a flashlight to look at my watch, I foolishly continued to attempt to use the light feature until my watch stopped working altogether. My guess now is that the battery was and is terribly low, and that the light feature just takes up too much energy.
Left without a working watch on early Wednesday morning, I tried to figure out how to tell time without a timepiece. I knew a Boy Scout trick for how to find North without a compass by using a watch and the position of the Sun, and I had a compass with me, so I tried to figure out a way to reverse the process and use a compass and the position of the sun to find out what hour of the day it was, but I couldn't wrap my head around the concept, and I eventually ended up buying a new watch at the Trading Post.
Once I got home, I took apart my original watch to get the details of the battery so I could replace it. Inside the mechanism of the watch, I saw a Reset button, so a pressed it and the watch started working again. Had I thought of doing that sooner, I could have saved myself some money at the Trading Post by reseting my watch there at camp. Or, had I been intelligent enough to use a flashlight with fresh batteries rather than the light feature of the watch whose battery I knew must be dying, it never would have died in the first place. My lack of intelligence had cost me about thirteen dollars that I otherwise might have saved. So much for A Scout is Thrifty.
A Scout is Grateful
On Thursday, I was just plain grateful. I was grateful that the Trading Post sold watches and that they weren't too terribly expensive. I was grateful that I had enough money on me that I could buy a watch without having to borrow money from somebody. I was grateful to once again know what time it was. I was grateful that I had the opportunity to go to Scout Camp in the first place and have all these great experiences. On Friday, I packed up my tent (so I wouldn't have to pack it up on Saturday morning) and slept under the stars, and that was a really nice experience as well. It wasn't too cold, and I enjoyed being able to observe my surroundings as I went to bed and woke up. Nature is beautiful, and while technology and plumbing are absolutely wonderful, I was glad to have the chance to spend a week at camp.
A Scout is Strong
This one didn't get into my journal, but it's worth sharing anyway. Going to Camp Winton involves a hike in and out of camp, and each scout is typically required to carry all their gear. I've heard some people say that there's more uphill or downhill in one direction or another, but there are ups and downs both ways. And I'm not sure exactly how long the trail is, but it's long enough that your pack starts to feel really heavy. Thankfully, I don't think any of our patient scouts complained about how long or hard the hike was, but perhaps that's because they were all strong enough to do it.
Going on a hike like that could easily be a metaphor for life. We have to face challenges. There are ups and downs. It's a long and difficult hike, which can be made even more difficult by carrying burdens we don't need, or by bearing our burdens incorrectly. Incidentally, shoelaces do not make good handles, though actual ropes can. And, just like in life, a certain amount of strength is required to complete the journey. For one, we need physical strength and for the other, we need moral strength, but either way, a Boy Scout is expected to be strong. Not all of our boys were physically strong, but together, we were strong enough. I don't know much about their moral strength, but as members of the church and as Boy Scouts, they're all definitely in the right place to get it.
A Scout is Patient
The first day at Winton was great, but there were a few hiccups. Since this was the first week of camp at Camp Winton, not everything was perfectly ready. Namely, two of the latrines (Big John and Big Red II) were being renovated and were temporarily unusable. These two latrines were not only the biggest in camp, each having three rooms while each other latrine only had one, but they were also the two latrines closest to our campsite. With those latrines out of commission, all scouts and leaders were required to share access to the smaller latrines that were scattered throughout the camp. This meant longer walks to the closest usable latrines and longer waits in line when you got there.
The situation was less than optimal, but many of our boys showed patience by not complaining. The latrines were eventually completely fixed, and things were soon running much more smoothly. Sure, we had gone through what could have been considered a rough patch, but we got through it and everyone had a good time anyway.
A Scout is Honest
The Trading Post at Camp Winton sold playing card decks and one of our boys either bought a deck or brought one from home (I'm not sure which). One of the games we played is traditionally called BS, but we called it Liar. In this game, the first player plays a number of Aces (1-4) face down. The second player played Twos in a similar manner, and so on. If a player didn't have the cards they were supposed to play, they were supposed to play 1-4 cards of any number or combination of numbers they wanted, but to say that they were all cards of the number that they were supposed to play. In essence, in that game, you had to lie. We also played Mafia, a game in which the Mafia (one or two randomly and secretly selected players) were encouraged to lie so as not to be eliminated, so they could eliminate all the other players and win the game. I was surprised at how many games we played that rewarded dishonesty, but thankfully, our boys were honest when it mattered.
One of the boys had been given an amount of money that he was allowed to spend at camp, but the remainder of which he was expected to return when he got home. Someone, I'm not sure whom, suggested that the boy might keep the money and tell the lender that he had spent it, but I'm proud to say that that boy rejected that idea pretty much immediately. On Tuesday night, around a campfire, we told stories about obtaining injuries and things getting lit of fire and/or exploding, and some of the stories were pretty crazy, yet I knew that they were all or at least almost all true because our boys were at least mostly honest.
A Scout is Intelligent
I have a watch that I got before my mission, easily at least four years ago, and I've never had to change its battery. It has spent the last two years sitting on my dresser, not being used, because I have a cell phone that I use to tell time now. At Scout Camp, I wanted to save my cell phone's battery in case of emergency, so I brought my watch with me to tell time. Despite its years of use and lack of use, it still worked. The watch also had a Light feature, so I could even tell time at night. And that's where I went wrong.
Sometimes, the light feature wouldn't work so well. At the time, I thought it was just because the watch was kind of old, so maybe the light feature just wasn't working so well anymore. Rather than using a flashlight to look at my watch, I foolishly continued to attempt to use the light feature until my watch stopped working altogether. My guess now is that the battery was and is terribly low, and that the light feature just takes up too much energy.
Left without a working watch on early Wednesday morning, I tried to figure out how to tell time without a timepiece. I knew a Boy Scout trick for how to find North without a compass by using a watch and the position of the Sun, and I had a compass with me, so I tried to figure out a way to reverse the process and use a compass and the position of the sun to find out what hour of the day it was, but I couldn't wrap my head around the concept, and I eventually ended up buying a new watch at the Trading Post.
Once I got home, I took apart my original watch to get the details of the battery so I could replace it. Inside the mechanism of the watch, I saw a Reset button, so a pressed it and the watch started working again. Had I thought of doing that sooner, I could have saved myself some money at the Trading Post by reseting my watch there at camp. Or, had I been intelligent enough to use a flashlight with fresh batteries rather than the light feature of the watch whose battery I knew must be dying, it never would have died in the first place. My lack of intelligence had cost me about thirteen dollars that I otherwise might have saved. So much for A Scout is Thrifty.
A Scout is Grateful
On Thursday, I was just plain grateful. I was grateful that the Trading Post sold watches and that they weren't too terribly expensive. I was grateful that I had enough money on me that I could buy a watch without having to borrow money from somebody. I was grateful to once again know what time it was. I was grateful that I had the opportunity to go to Scout Camp in the first place and have all these great experiences. On Friday, I packed up my tent (so I wouldn't have to pack it up on Saturday morning) and slept under the stars, and that was a really nice experience as well. It wasn't too cold, and I enjoyed being able to observe my surroundings as I went to bed and woke up. Nature is beautiful, and while technology and plumbing are absolutely wonderful, I was glad to have the chance to spend a week at camp.
A Scout is Strong
This one didn't get into my journal, but it's worth sharing anyway. Going to Camp Winton involves a hike in and out of camp, and each scout is typically required to carry all their gear. I've heard some people say that there's more uphill or downhill in one direction or another, but there are ups and downs both ways. And I'm not sure exactly how long the trail is, but it's long enough that your pack starts to feel really heavy. Thankfully, I don't think any of our patient scouts complained about how long or hard the hike was, but perhaps that's because they were all strong enough to do it.
Going on a hike like that could easily be a metaphor for life. We have to face challenges. There are ups and downs. It's a long and difficult hike, which can be made even more difficult by carrying burdens we don't need, or by bearing our burdens incorrectly. Incidentally, shoelaces do not make good handles, though actual ropes can. And, just like in life, a certain amount of strength is required to complete the journey. For one, we need physical strength and for the other, we need moral strength, but either way, a Boy Scout is expected to be strong. Not all of our boys were physically strong, but together, we were strong enough. I don't know much about their moral strength, but as members of the church and as Boy Scouts, they're all definitely in the right place to get it.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Crazy Dance Parties Are Okay... Or Are they?
As I had planned, I took notes about what to blog about on each day of the camp out, but I don't want to copy down all of those notes now because it would take a significant amount of time, and I have to go get ready for church. Instead, I'll blog about dancing.
During the campout, on Thursday and Friday specifically, we had a couple of dance parties in which fun music was played (a little bit too loudly, in my opinion) and we were invited to come up onto a porch with the Staff and dance like no one was watching. Several of the boys did, but most didn't, and almost none of the leaders did, but on Friday, I couldn't really help myself. I went up there, danced my heart out, and sang along to all the songs I knew the words to. While I was up there, I was a little bit worried about what others, specifically the other leaders in our group, would think of me. It wasn't very dignified. It wasn't behavior one would really expect from a Paladin or from a leader of a Boy Scout Troop. I probably shouldn't have gone up there with the others, but it was a lot of fun.
And what's wrong with having fun? The camp Staff was up there, some of them in goofy outfits, dancing like they were crazy, and at that point, we had had an entire week worth of evidence supporting that theory. All week, they've been doing silly skits, telling corny jokes, challenging each other to eating and dancing contests, and pulling practical jokes on each other - all for the amusement and entertainment of the boys. It could be said that they were all dignified and respectable people under normal circumstances, and that they only behaved that way during Scout Camp because it was in their job description, but I believe that some of them were honestly having fun. And again, what's wrong with that?
Last night, I had an opportunity to dance like crazy and have fun at our Ward Dance and Game Night. I took that opportunity, and nobody there thought any less of me for doing it (as far as I know). In my opinion, people, even adults, are allowed to have fun. Yes, adults are expected to be respectable and sane most of the time, but there are times, like at crazy dance parties, when even adults are allowed to let loose. Our culture makes such allowances, and unless I'm wrong, so does our religion.
Of course, we have to be reverent on Sundays, we have to do our share of work every day, and we should never listen to, let alone dance to, the inappropriate music you hear at most crazy weekend dance parties (thankfully, the music at Scout Camp was clean), but at other times and with good clean music, I think we're allowed to have fun, and even to dance like crazy if we feel like it. I certainly did, and I didn't feel any less like a Christian for doing it.
I did, however, feel a little bit less like a Paladin. Paladins are expected to be especially dignified and respectable, and I find it hard to imagine a Paladin dancing like no one was watching, even after he had fulfilled all of his regular duties. Paladins don't normally dance like crazy. It's just not the kind of thing that Paladins normally do. But are they allowed to? Once they've done everything they're supposed to do, and assuming the music is clean enough and tame enough to not offend the Spirit, are Paladins allowed to loosen up and just dance? Am I?
I want to be like a Paladin. If Paladins don't dance like crazy, even when it's okay for others to, then I should refrain from dancing like crazy also. It's a Paladin's strict standards that give them their moral strength. If I want that strength (and I most certainly do!), I must uphold high standards as well. Does that include not dancing? I don't think so. I don't want it to. But still, dancing like that is something that I can't really picture a Paladin doing. Maybe dancing is okay for most people, but not okay for me.
That'd be a bummer, but I could probably live with it. It'd be sort of like fasting, except that instead of fasting from food, I'd be fasting from acting like I'm crazy. That would be a challenge for me, but that's what makes it a sacrifice. If God accepts that sacrifice and rewards it with additional strength, it'll be worth it.
I'm going to try to work out an answer to whether Paladins are allowed to dance like crazy or not. If they're not, or if I can't find a satisfactory answer, I may never dance like crazy again.
During the campout, on Thursday and Friday specifically, we had a couple of dance parties in which fun music was played (a little bit too loudly, in my opinion) and we were invited to come up onto a porch with the Staff and dance like no one was watching. Several of the boys did, but most didn't, and almost none of the leaders did, but on Friday, I couldn't really help myself. I went up there, danced my heart out, and sang along to all the songs I knew the words to. While I was up there, I was a little bit worried about what others, specifically the other leaders in our group, would think of me. It wasn't very dignified. It wasn't behavior one would really expect from a Paladin or from a leader of a Boy Scout Troop. I probably shouldn't have gone up there with the others, but it was a lot of fun.
And what's wrong with having fun? The camp Staff was up there, some of them in goofy outfits, dancing like they were crazy, and at that point, we had had an entire week worth of evidence supporting that theory. All week, they've been doing silly skits, telling corny jokes, challenging each other to eating and dancing contests, and pulling practical jokes on each other - all for the amusement and entertainment of the boys. It could be said that they were all dignified and respectable people under normal circumstances, and that they only behaved that way during Scout Camp because it was in their job description, but I believe that some of them were honestly having fun. And again, what's wrong with that?
Last night, I had an opportunity to dance like crazy and have fun at our Ward Dance and Game Night. I took that opportunity, and nobody there thought any less of me for doing it (as far as I know). In my opinion, people, even adults, are allowed to have fun. Yes, adults are expected to be respectable and sane most of the time, but there are times, like at crazy dance parties, when even adults are allowed to let loose. Our culture makes such allowances, and unless I'm wrong, so does our religion.
Of course, we have to be reverent on Sundays, we have to do our share of work every day, and we should never listen to, let alone dance to, the inappropriate music you hear at most crazy weekend dance parties (thankfully, the music at Scout Camp was clean), but at other times and with good clean music, I think we're allowed to have fun, and even to dance like crazy if we feel like it. I certainly did, and I didn't feel any less like a Christian for doing it.
I did, however, feel a little bit less like a Paladin. Paladins are expected to be especially dignified and respectable, and I find it hard to imagine a Paladin dancing like no one was watching, even after he had fulfilled all of his regular duties. Paladins don't normally dance like crazy. It's just not the kind of thing that Paladins normally do. But are they allowed to? Once they've done everything they're supposed to do, and assuming the music is clean enough and tame enough to not offend the Spirit, are Paladins allowed to loosen up and just dance? Am I?
I want to be like a Paladin. If Paladins don't dance like crazy, even when it's okay for others to, then I should refrain from dancing like crazy also. It's a Paladin's strict standards that give them their moral strength. If I want that strength (and I most certainly do!), I must uphold high standards as well. Does that include not dancing? I don't think so. I don't want it to. But still, dancing like that is something that I can't really picture a Paladin doing. Maybe dancing is okay for most people, but not okay for me.
That'd be a bummer, but I could probably live with it. It'd be sort of like fasting, except that instead of fasting from food, I'd be fasting from acting like I'm crazy. That would be a challenge for me, but that's what makes it a sacrifice. If God accepts that sacrifice and rewards it with additional strength, it'll be worth it.
I'm going to try to work out an answer to whether Paladins are allowed to dance like crazy or not. If they're not, or if I can't find a satisfactory answer, I may never dance like crazy again.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Why Good Paladins Make Terrific Leaders
I'm back. It's been a good, but long week at Scout Camp. The Staff was great. The scenery was phenomenal. The boys were friendly, and most of them were even sane, which was something of a surprise to me. It was a terrific experience, but I'm glad I'm back. Scout Camp takes a lot of energy, and there are some aspects of it that are less than terrific. Thank God for modern plumbing!
On June 13th, which was a week and a day ago, I predicted that Scout Camp would "help me grow, spiritually and as a leader," and boy did it! At Scout Camp, I didn't learn any scouting or survival skills that I didn't already know (though I did get some good practice in the practical use of knots I hardly ever use). What I did learn was why good Paladins make terrific leaders.
Paladins lead by example.
At Scout camp, there were man times when we had to choose between what we wanted to do and what we were supposed to do. Whenever a Staff member or other Scout leader gave the Scout Sign, signaling for silence, all conversations were to come to an abrupt stop, and full attention was to be given to the Scout leader or Staff member. Since I have spent the last few years of my live striving to develop greater moral discipline, and since I have a few years of maturity over most of the boys, I found cutting conversations short and focussing my attention less difficult than some of the boys did. When this happened, the other Scout leaders and I led by example. By giving the staff members our full attention (and occasionally giving our Scouts a little prodding) we succeeded in getting our boys to act we the appropriate level of maturity about as often as we tried. However, I'm am fairly certain that if we, the leaders, had been goofing off, the boys would have been goofing off, too.
Paladins are known for choosing the right and for encouraging others to do so as well. Just as I'm certain that some of our boys wouldn't have paid attention if we didn't, I'm sure that a Paladin's, or anyone's, call to repentance wouldn't have had much convincing power unless they were being righteous themselves.
Paladins uphold high standards, but understand that others don't have to.
That being said, sometimes boys will be boys. Even those these are Boy Scouts, legendary for their adherence to the list of moral principles known as the Scout Law, they are still Boy Scouts, and due to that fact, some allowances need to be given. They don't all have the level of maturity that can only come with age. In fact, very few of them do. While some behavior is inexcusable, even from teenagers, other faults, such as desires to both stay up and sleep in later than they should, must be forgiven.
In contrast, the leaders are responsible for not only getting up at the correct time themselves, but also helping their Scouts to go to bed and get up when they should as well. The leaders are supposed to remember all the rules, obey them constantly, and remind their troops to follow the rules as well. Since the boys looked to us for examples to follow, we were tasked to maintain the highest standards we could, even though our boys failed to do that from time to time.
Similarly, Paladins have sworn binding oaths to maintain high standards, but frequently travel with those who haven't. While they themselves must always be honest, true, and committed to the cause of good, strictly rejecting any evil thought or action and cautiously avoiding any questionable ones, they understand that not all of their associates are expected to be that strict. So, the best Paladins are forgiving of the faults and imperfections of their companions, even though they strive fiercely to remove those faults and imperfections from themselves.
Lastly, Paladins are charismatic.
At Scout Camp, I learned that if people like you, they're more likely to listen to you and respect you. Though it may or may not be true literally, it is figuratively true that you collect more flies with honey than with vinegar. If you want to get boys to follow your example and respect your authority, it helps if you can get them to like you. Many of the boys in our group liked me and their other Scout leaders, and they often behaved well when we asked them to.
In Dungeons and Dragons, Paladins typically have high Charisma scores, which chiefly affects their likability and their ability to influence others (and to lie, except that Paladins don't lie. I'm just saying that if a Paladin did lie, they'd probably be pretty good at it because of their high Charisma). At first, I didn't understand what Charisma had to do with being a Paladin. What possible relationship could there be between likable and being an unshakable champion of justice and righteousness? As it turns out, the connection is pretty strong. While some so-called champions of justice consider it just to answer minor infractions with severe retribution, Paladins seek to promote righteous not so much by force (though sometimes force is necessary), but rather by persuasion. It's better to convince someone to be more righteous by talking to them than by pointing a sword at their throat. That's why the best Paladins use force and the threat of force sparingly, and more often use their friendliness and persuasiveness to eradicate evil with their words. And, not coincidentally, those Paladins often get better results.
I've heard that Paladins often take positions of leadership, and I have been placed in such a position with my calling as a Scout Leader. It seems a strange coincidence that my calling places me into a position that's even more closely aligned with the fictional figures I've been attempting to emulate than I was already attempting to be. But perhaps it's not a coincidence at all. Perhaps this is a sign that God is not only okay with my desire to be like a Paladin, but that He wants me to be even more like a Paladin than I thought was necessary. Or perhaps God is simply working with the decision that I have already made. I've already decided that I want to be a Paladin, God knows that Paladins are supposedly good leaders, so perhaps He turned me into a leader knowing that I already had some motivation to be a good one.
What I know for certain is that right now, God wants me to be a leader to a small group of Boy Scouts that have named themselves the Valiant Knights. If being their leader helps me to be more like a Paladin, or if being more like a Paladin helps me be a better leader, either way I'm happy with that idea. I want to be both a good Paladin and a good leader, and if being either one of those things helps me to also be the other, all the better.
On June 13th, which was a week and a day ago, I predicted that Scout Camp would "help me grow, spiritually and as a leader," and boy did it! At Scout Camp, I didn't learn any scouting or survival skills that I didn't already know (though I did get some good practice in the practical use of knots I hardly ever use). What I did learn was why good Paladins make terrific leaders.
Paladins lead by example.
At Scout camp, there were man times when we had to choose between what we wanted to do and what we were supposed to do. Whenever a Staff member or other Scout leader gave the Scout Sign, signaling for silence, all conversations were to come to an abrupt stop, and full attention was to be given to the Scout leader or Staff member. Since I have spent the last few years of my live striving to develop greater moral discipline, and since I have a few years of maturity over most of the boys, I found cutting conversations short and focussing my attention less difficult than some of the boys did. When this happened, the other Scout leaders and I led by example. By giving the staff members our full attention (and occasionally giving our Scouts a little prodding) we succeeded in getting our boys to act we the appropriate level of maturity about as often as we tried. However, I'm am fairly certain that if we, the leaders, had been goofing off, the boys would have been goofing off, too.
Paladins are known for choosing the right and for encouraging others to do so as well. Just as I'm certain that some of our boys wouldn't have paid attention if we didn't, I'm sure that a Paladin's, or anyone's, call to repentance wouldn't have had much convincing power unless they were being righteous themselves.
Paladins uphold high standards, but understand that others don't have to.
That being said, sometimes boys will be boys. Even those these are Boy Scouts, legendary for their adherence to the list of moral principles known as the Scout Law, they are still Boy Scouts, and due to that fact, some allowances need to be given. They don't all have the level of maturity that can only come with age. In fact, very few of them do. While some behavior is inexcusable, even from teenagers, other faults, such as desires to both stay up and sleep in later than they should, must be forgiven.
In contrast, the leaders are responsible for not only getting up at the correct time themselves, but also helping their Scouts to go to bed and get up when they should as well. The leaders are supposed to remember all the rules, obey them constantly, and remind their troops to follow the rules as well. Since the boys looked to us for examples to follow, we were tasked to maintain the highest standards we could, even though our boys failed to do that from time to time.
Similarly, Paladins have sworn binding oaths to maintain high standards, but frequently travel with those who haven't. While they themselves must always be honest, true, and committed to the cause of good, strictly rejecting any evil thought or action and cautiously avoiding any questionable ones, they understand that not all of their associates are expected to be that strict. So, the best Paladins are forgiving of the faults and imperfections of their companions, even though they strive fiercely to remove those faults and imperfections from themselves.
Lastly, Paladins are charismatic.
At Scout Camp, I learned that if people like you, they're more likely to listen to you and respect you. Though it may or may not be true literally, it is figuratively true that you collect more flies with honey than with vinegar. If you want to get boys to follow your example and respect your authority, it helps if you can get them to like you. Many of the boys in our group liked me and their other Scout leaders, and they often behaved well when we asked them to.
In Dungeons and Dragons, Paladins typically have high Charisma scores, which chiefly affects their likability and their ability to influence others (and to lie, except that Paladins don't lie. I'm just saying that if a Paladin did lie, they'd probably be pretty good at it because of their high Charisma). At first, I didn't understand what Charisma had to do with being a Paladin. What possible relationship could there be between likable and being an unshakable champion of justice and righteousness? As it turns out, the connection is pretty strong. While some so-called champions of justice consider it just to answer minor infractions with severe retribution, Paladins seek to promote righteous not so much by force (though sometimes force is necessary), but rather by persuasion. It's better to convince someone to be more righteous by talking to them than by pointing a sword at their throat. That's why the best Paladins use force and the threat of force sparingly, and more often use their friendliness and persuasiveness to eradicate evil with their words. And, not coincidentally, those Paladins often get better results.
I've heard that Paladins often take positions of leadership, and I have been placed in such a position with my calling as a Scout Leader. It seems a strange coincidence that my calling places me into a position that's even more closely aligned with the fictional figures I've been attempting to emulate than I was already attempting to be. But perhaps it's not a coincidence at all. Perhaps this is a sign that God is not only okay with my desire to be like a Paladin, but that He wants me to be even more like a Paladin than I thought was necessary. Or perhaps God is simply working with the decision that I have already made. I've already decided that I want to be a Paladin, God knows that Paladins are supposedly good leaders, so perhaps He turned me into a leader knowing that I already had some motivation to be a good one.
What I know for certain is that right now, God wants me to be a leader to a small group of Boy Scouts that have named themselves the Valiant Knights. If being their leader helps me to be more like a Paladin, or if being more like a Paladin helps me be a better leader, either way I'm happy with that idea. I want to be both a good Paladin and a good leader, and if being either one of those things helps me to also be the other, all the better.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Satan's Envy
Last night, in Stake Conference, one of the speakers, Elder Fallabella, I think, mentioned that Satan can't have a family. He can't get married or raise any number of children. That option simply isn't open to him. When I heard that, I leaned over to my mom and whispered, "So that's why he's trying to destroy the family; he's jealous." And now that I think about it, there are other things that Satan's probably jealous of as well.
One of the primary things Satan can never have is a body. So, as a aspect of his envy, he tries to get us to abuse, misuse, demean, and even destroy ours. He encourages us to use toxic or otherwise dangerous substances. He tempts us to mistreat our bodies and the bodies of others. He whispers into our minds hurtful things about our bodies until we believe them and start to feel badly about our bodies. And, in extreme cases, he manages to convince some people to destroy their own bodies. And he does all this because he will never have a body and he's jealous of the bodies we have.
He's also jealous of our freedom. We have so many options to choose what we want to do and who we want to be, but Satan has already made the choice about what he would be and do, and I'm pretty sure it's too late for him to change his mind now, even though I'd like to think that there's hope for even him. But, in envy of our freedom, he tries to limit it by catching us in temptations and addictions. He tries to control us through subtlety and manipulation to undermine our freedom to choose for ourselves. We can choose our own destiny, but he tries to convince us that we can't, all because he's jealous that we kept our first estate of agency, and he didn't.
Lastly, Satan is jealous of our future. If we keep the commandments and live righteously, God will grant us additional blessings and power (gradually, I assume, as we continue to prove our worthiness of it) until we ultimately become as He is. Satan had that same potential in the Pre-mortal existence, but he tried to claim it early. When God refused him, he rebelled, and he lost his chance at Godhood forever. Now, Satan does everything in his power to derail us from the destiny God laid out for us. He tempts us to sin so we won't be worthy of God's blessings. He tempts us to rebel against God, as he did, so we would become miserable, as he is.
But the encouraging thing about this thought is that since Satan is trying to destroy us, we must have something good enough to be worth his effort of trying to destroy. And we do! We all have bodies. Many of us have capable, even powerful, bodies, and we can do great things with them. We have our freedom to choose what we want to be, what we want to do with our lives, and whose example we want to follow. We have the opportunity to have our own families - not just for this life, but forever! We have the potential to have an eternal increase, and to eventually create our own worlds for our children to live on.
We have such wonderful blessings and opportunities available to us. Don't let Satan's jealousy destroy yours.
One of the primary things Satan can never have is a body. So, as a aspect of his envy, he tries to get us to abuse, misuse, demean, and even destroy ours. He encourages us to use toxic or otherwise dangerous substances. He tempts us to mistreat our bodies and the bodies of others. He whispers into our minds hurtful things about our bodies until we believe them and start to feel badly about our bodies. And, in extreme cases, he manages to convince some people to destroy their own bodies. And he does all this because he will never have a body and he's jealous of the bodies we have.
He's also jealous of our freedom. We have so many options to choose what we want to do and who we want to be, but Satan has already made the choice about what he would be and do, and I'm pretty sure it's too late for him to change his mind now, even though I'd like to think that there's hope for even him. But, in envy of our freedom, he tries to limit it by catching us in temptations and addictions. He tries to control us through subtlety and manipulation to undermine our freedom to choose for ourselves. We can choose our own destiny, but he tries to convince us that we can't, all because he's jealous that we kept our first estate of agency, and he didn't.
Lastly, Satan is jealous of our future. If we keep the commandments and live righteously, God will grant us additional blessings and power (gradually, I assume, as we continue to prove our worthiness of it) until we ultimately become as He is. Satan had that same potential in the Pre-mortal existence, but he tried to claim it early. When God refused him, he rebelled, and he lost his chance at Godhood forever. Now, Satan does everything in his power to derail us from the destiny God laid out for us. He tempts us to sin so we won't be worthy of God's blessings. He tempts us to rebel against God, as he did, so we would become miserable, as he is.
But the encouraging thing about this thought is that since Satan is trying to destroy us, we must have something good enough to be worth his effort of trying to destroy. And we do! We all have bodies. Many of us have capable, even powerful, bodies, and we can do great things with them. We have our freedom to choose what we want to be, what we want to do with our lives, and whose example we want to follow. We have the opportunity to have our own families - not just for this life, but forever! We have the potential to have an eternal increase, and to eventually create our own worlds for our children to live on.
We have such wonderful blessings and opportunities available to us. Don't let Satan's jealousy destroy yours.
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