Les Derniers Jours (The Latter Days)

So, I realize that I haven't written in quite a while. To summarize the last several months:

I was the mission financial secretary for 7 months. I did office work during the day and missionary work in the evening, in the Versailles area.

Then I got transferred to Caen to be Zone Leader in the Normandy Zone. I've been here for the past three months, and tomorrow I'll be finishing up the "normal" part of my mission.

My mom and cousin will be picking me up and we'll tour Europe a little together. I'll still be a missionary, though, until September 3, when I get home and get released. Expect my next update after that.

Just Kidding

I got surprise transferred into the Mission Office to work as the Accountant. Keep sending all packages and letters to the Bureau address:

Elder James Kenneth Jensen
France Paris Mission
23, rue du Onze Novembre
78110 Le Vesinet
France

No change

I'll be spending another transfer in Nogent with Elder Jeter. Same district. Nothing special to report. Happy All Saints Day.

Baptism, Transfers, Training, and District Leader

We just successfully had the first baptism that I've ever organized. It went great. The two converts are very happy.

My companion got transferred, as expected, and I am training a bleu (greenie) from Texas named Elder Jeter. I'm also district leader this transfer. This'll be a lot of new responsibilities for me all at once, so I'll need your prayers of support.

Thanks, everybody!

Love,

Elder Jensen

In Nogent

Those who've managed to keep in touch through my family know by now that I've been in Nogent for about three weeks. It's closer in to Paris, and we actually have to go through Paris in order to get to certain parts of our zone. It's a much busier area than any of the other two I've been in, and Elder Huntsman and I are working really hard to keep up with everything.

Email update

Most of you won't be emailing me during my mission anyway, so this shouldn't matter, but I just found out that the U is changing their policies regarding my utah.edu email address that everyone normally sends to. So please send email instead to my gmail account. If you don't know my address, make a comment to this post and when I find time I'll give it to you.

Elder Jensen

In Mantes la Jolie

Hey Everybody,

Last transfer I was transferred to Mantes-la-Jolie with Elder Harris. This transfer I'm staying here. Life is good. I haven't much time for details, but I just wanted to let the world know I'm still doing great, and I'm very thankful for the Restoration of the Gospel.

Elder James Jensen

Regarding my safety

Dear World,

I won't be giving a whole lot of updates on my blog; probably just a bit now and then to let everybody know I'm still alive and doing well. But today I thought it might be important to say something regarding the rioting in Paris and how it's affecting me. Frankly, I haven't seen any effects from Limoges (where I'm serving right now); we're really far away from Paris. The only effect it's had on us so far is that it's become a common topic of discussion with people we talk to. We are always careful about avoiding situations that could be dangerous, and since we're always indoors at night, there's really not much danger to the missionaries.

Following is an excerpt from a letter from our mission president to parents:

We are aware of the extensive coverage being given by the news media to the events in our mission over the past week and a half. We are certain that these reports have caused you an extra degree of concern for your son or daughter. Therefore we want to provide this report of what is currently occurring and what steps we have instituted for our missionaries’ safety.

As we understand is heavily reported worldwide, demonstrations in the form of burnings of cars and some buildings began in the northeast suburbs of Paris to protest the accidental deaths of two youths by electrocution on Oct. 27 as they ran from the police.

These acts are directed against the police and the French government in general, primarily by immigrants and their descendants who feel they are being denied the rights of French residency and citizenship. They are occurring during the nighttime. At first they occurred only in the northeast suburbs of Paris but have now spread to other suburbs and, to a lesser extent, to Paris itself and other outlying cities. For the most part, they are occurring in neighborhoods of low-cost apartments occupied primarily by the immigrant population.

Accordingly we have taken the following safety measures:

1. All our missionaries are instructed to stay out of the neighborhoods where demonstrations/burnings are most likely to occur and to avoid all gatherings that could turn into demonstrations.
2. Paris-area missionaries are to be home in their apartments by 7:00 PM on weeknights when the heaviest commuter traffic on public transportation subsides unless they have a teaching appointment with members who will return them by private automobile to their apartment after the appointment. On weekends our Paris-area missionaries are to be in their apartments by dark.
3. We are working closely with local priesthood leaders who are assigning suitable members to take our missionaries into their homes if conditions escalate and require it.
4. Each apartment has a week’s supply of food should it become prudent to keep our missionaries in for several days. Missionaries are also to have cash on hand and a reserve of funds on their electronic cards.

-------------------

So, like he said, we're taking appropriate precautions, but it honestly isn't affecting the work where I am. Things are going great. I hope you're all doing well, and I look forward to receiving and responding to your letters.

Love,

Elder Jensen

France

Everybody,

 

I'm in France, but can't use email except to family.  I'll have my family members update my blog starting next week.  Anybody can email me at:

 

Anybody else can send snail mail to:

 

Elder James Kenneth Jensen
France Paris Mission
23, rue du Onze Novembre
78110 Le Vesinet
France

 

... and it will be forwarded to me wherever I happen to be.

 

Love,

 

Elder Jensen

Letter received October 17, 2005

Dear World,
 I'd like to thank everyone for your concern and advice for the trouble I was having a couple of weeks ago. I've heard half a dozen different explanations for the behavior of my companion. Let me first make sure there is no misunderstanding or mistaking the situation, as may have happened due to my limitations as a writer; my few letters over the past two months must naturally give the reader a distorted and sensational glimpse of my time here at the MTC, just as relying on front-page headlines would give us a distorted perception of the "real" world. The truth is, Elder Evans is a great missionary.  He has been since the beginning of our time here, and I know that he will become better and better throughout his mission. We have come to respect and love one another and, for the most part, to understand each other. By following mission rules we've been able to work through the issues that naturally occur when two young men from opposite sides of the earth, with completely different personalities, choose to undertake a work in which they must spend almost every waking moment in one another's presence. We've learned a great deal from one another, and if I had the choice, I wouldn't have wanted to spend that time any other way. So I hope you will not misunderstand when I express frustration with any person or situation here. I am happy to be serving my Heavenly Father, and would have it no other way.

 On to lighter subjects, I got my travel plans this week. I leave for Paris on Monday, 17 Oct. and arrive the next morning, Paris time. [James's new address] Somebody tell Jameson Veit (Heather's brother) that his friend, Elder Babcock, moved in next door to our room, and is in our branch, learning French like a champion.

 I just had an interesting experience that illustrates the point I was mentioning earlier. I got called to the front office, which is a pretty rare occurrence around here. So I was wondering, did somebody in my family die? Did I dod something to get in trouble? Did my VISA get rejected? But no. Apparently I mentioned getting sick (runny nose) some time ago and then last week I mentioned being a little sick (cough) in my letters home, so my Mom called the MTC to find out if I'm okay! I guess she figured I'd been confined to bed for several weeks or something. See how easy it is to misconstrue the situtation based on so little information? How embarrassing. Ah, well, it's a mother's job to worry.

 When I get to France, I'll see if I can post to my blog directly or use email. If not, it may be a couple of weeks before you get your next update.
    
         Au revoir,
                Elder Jensen

[James, I hope you were able to get the info you needed from your Mom! I didn't get your letter until the afternoon of Oct. 17th so I didn't have a chance to warn her to be prepared.]

Letter from October 4, 2005

Dear World,
 First of all, I'd like to thank Laurie and John Padget (I think that's spelled right) for their postcard from Australia. Did I mention that my companion, Elder Evans, is from Melbourne?

 Secondly, Elder Evans and I resolved our concerns in our companionship inventory this week and we're getting along much better now.

 Thirdly, did you get a chance to watch General Conference this weekend? If not, you ought to look it up on the Internet.

 That is all. God Bless! Que Bieu Vous Benisse!

          Elder Jensen

Letter from September 29 continued

(I accidentally sent that before I was ready, so let me finish now).

Before I came here, everybody told me that I'd be really annoyed with the other elders because they're all 19-20 years old and immature. Thus far I've found that to be untrue. As stated in my setting-apart blessing, I've been blessed with "the maturity and understanding to be able to understand the other missionaries who come from a variety of backgrounds and levels of maturity . . . the perception to see the good in them . . ." At this point, I'm more concerned that the other missionaries will have the perception to see the good in me . . . and maybe the courage to help me improve.

Ah, well' until next week: A la prochain!

Elder Jensen

Letter dated September 26, 2005

Dear World,

The districts just ahead of us are going to leave tomorrow, which means we'll be the "oldest" French-speaking missionaries at the MTC (I think; at least in our branch). That means there are just a few more weeks before I leave for France! Crazy.

When I'm learning French, I feel like I'm not learning much, but when I take a step back and realize that I understood an entire Sacrament meeting talk, or that I just explained God's Plan of Salvation, entirely in French, I can't help but be amazed at how quickly I've learned as much as I have.

I've finished reading the Pearl of Great Price, and I'll probably start reading the Doctrine & Covenants soon. I'm also trying to memorize a bunch of scripture locations; that's proving to be more difficult than anything else I do here.

I'm also having some difficulty getting along with my mission companion. We never exactly "clicked," but up until now, we've gotten along alright. We're opposites in just about every way. We're from opposite sides of the globe; I'm a computer geek, while he's always been very sporty; I've got a build that you might call "wiry," whereas he's got the pecs of Arnold Schwarzenegger; I'm cheery and full of smiles, while he's more . . . I think "surly" is the word, but I don't have a dictionary . . .; I constantly feel the need to be doing something constructive, and he sometimes just wants to chill; our communication styles are totally different. In short, the only thing we both have in common is our mission call. Considering all that, it's really nothing shor of miracuous that we've been able to get along with each other as constant compaions for over a month! But last night he told me that I'm really starting to bug hi. That's not so bad, in an of itself, but he then refused to say anymore. FYI Girls: guys hate it when you pull this, "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you" stunt. It's ridiculous. So I was really surprised when my tough guy companion suddenly clammed up and wouldn't talk bluntly about what I was doing to get on his nerves. I asked him about it again today, and he still wouldn't talk about it. (He said, "You're clueless!" I said, "Yeah, I am. You've probably noticed by now that I'm clueless about a lot of things. I'd appreciate it if you'd be patient enough to help me know wha tI'm doing wrong.") "Don't worry; we're only here for three more weeks," he said. I replied, "Three weeks is a long time at the MTC: besides, if something bugs you, it''ll probably bug my next companion too." He agreed that it probably will. "So you're not doing anybody any favors," I said, "by not telling me."

"I don't have to do anyone any favors," he said. I told him yes, he does--he's a missionary; if he didn't come here to serve others then why is he here? He still hasn't answered.

Letter dated September 19, 2005

Dear World,
It's hard for me to remember what I've written in letters previously, so please forgive me if I repeat myself or forget to mention something. (Mary, thanks for the letter. Keep in touch!)

I got sick for a few days about a week ago, but I'm healthy again now. I'm starting to get tired of the food here at the MTC, but I still have a ways to go before I'm ready for France. The schedule here is pretty unrelenting. Other than about an hour of gym, a few days a week (I'm learning to love volleyball!), we're always either in class, eating, sleeping, studying,, or going to Church meetings, firesides, or devotionals.

Most of my district joined the choir, and it's been nice to be able to sing now and then. It also ensures that we'll have choice seats reserved for Tuesday devotionals. Last week Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve, spoke. Nobody is allowed to tell us who's coming to talk each week until they start seating people, but we've heard rumors that the Prophet is in town; how cool would it be if he came to speak at the MTC devotional?! Pretty cool.

In closing, let me just say that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true, re-established church of Jesus Christ. The powers of Prophecy and the Priesthood of God have been restored, and the Saints have fulfilled (and continue to fulfill) ancient prophecies from the New and Old Testaments. Our Heavenly Father wants very much to bless the lives of all of His children here on Earth, including you. Please make sure that you do everything that is required of you, so that He can give you all the blessings of Happiness and Peace that come from obeying the commandments of God and being attentive to His spirit.

I say these things, with love, in the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Signed,
Elder Jensen

Letter from September 12, 2005

Dear World,
 I think once you've lived a few weeks at the MTC, there's really not much more to talk about. Everything just repeats itself, mostly, except the content of the lessons. The spirit is really strong here. I just got back from the temple. We weren't able to go there last week because of the construction.

 I also just met a friend (Amelia Hardin) from Swing Club. When I saw her and called her by her first name she didn't respond for a few seconds because everyone here calls her "Sister Hardin." It's weird how nobody around here knows anybody else by first name.

 Well, there's much to do today, so I'll close now. Please keep sending letters regularly (or if you aren't, start). Letters are Chicken Soup for the Missionary's soul. I don't think it's possible to understand how important they are unless you've been a missionary. I think I've mentioned how each day here feels like at least two days; a week between letters feels like an eternity.

 God bless you all. You are in my prayers.

Love,
Elder Jensen

Letter dated August 29, 2005

Dear Everyone,
 This is just a general letter to let you all know how things are going at the MTC. From what I understand, there have been a lot of changes here recently. The infamous "Trees of Life" showers now have dividers in place so that we can shower in relative privacy. "Le bete orange" [the French grammar book used in the MTC, fondly known as "The Orange Beast"] is still exactly the same, except that it is no longer orange.
 
As pretty much everybody LDS knows by now, they've replaced an enourmous amount of reading material that missionaries used to use, with a single book called Preach my Gospel, which covers just about everything a missionary could ever need to know. They've also arranged our schedule so that we have a few hours of "MDT" or "Missionary Directed Time" almost every day. This is basically study time when we're allowed to choose to study in whatever manner is best for us. For instance, sometimes we go to the referral center (basically a call center) and use "Study Hall" mode, where we mostly just study, but if all of the other operators are busy, additional calls can come in to us so that we can help people get free Books of Mormon, DVDs, and have missionaries come to their houses to share our message with them.
 The teachers here are great! Up to this point, I've had Brother Blackman and Brother Richardson, but starting this week Brother Blackmen will teach a different class and be replaced by Sister Moore (I think). I'm sure she'll be good, but it's hard to imagine anyone being as good as Frere Blackmen. He is so inspired, and he has some great stories, plus he's just a great teacher. He's also handsome and single and in serach of an eternal companion, so if any of you ladies are in search of a French-speaking, temple-worthy, returned missionary, bome to BYU and look him up!

 It's been kind of remarkable to see what a small world it is here, Elder Crnich (pronounced "Sir niche) is practically best friends with Jared Hewlett, the crazy-haired kid that was on Brighton's cheer squad with me. After I graduated, the Hewletts moved to Kamas, where Elder Crnich lived. I also met the daughter of one of my co-workers from GE/OEC. Her name is Sister Barker, and she was a year or two behind me at Brighton. Her dad also was one of my dad's good friends in high school, went to the same mission as Liz's mom (actually remembered her [mom] from his mission), and coincidentally, he also showed up at the temple when I went there for the first time.

 I have now been more than two weeks without dancing, and it's taking a serous effort to ignore the withdrawal symptoms ;)

 The international students get to use email while they're here, but the rest of us have to use snail mail. It's okay; I'm getting better at finding time to write letters, and I'm rediscovering cursive . . . dunno if it's any faster though.
 
 Also, because my companion has never been to Temple Square [he's from Australia], he and some others from our district will get to take a field trip down there this Friday, but I'll be staying here with the locals.

 Well, I'd best start writing to my families now. (It's hard, because I'm already a slow writer, and I've got two families to write to each week.)

 God Bless!

[For those of you who speak French and are concerned that James does not realize the importance of accents in the French language, let me assure you that his original letter did contain accents. However, this was typed by Liz, who was unable to figure out how to put in French accent marks. Also note that bracketed words/sentences are Liz's insterted commentary and were not in the original letter.] :)

Letter #1 - MTC Arrival

Dear Family,
I love you very much. I am writing this as I sit in our first
meeting. It's about 3:45 on my first day at the MTC. I'll be writing
this one letter to everybody, because I'm not sure I'll have time to
write anymore today.

After getting here, we went to get our new immunizations. The world
believes that 10 years is enough time between TD shots, but the Church
thinks missionaries need them every 5 years. Plus, of course, they
decided that we need to get innoculated against bacterial meningitis.
I'm not complaining, after I was what happened to my friend Nate
Landon. I'd like to dance with my God-given feet again some day. No
amputations for me, thanks.

After the medical stuff was done, I went to my room and met my
Australian companion, Elder Evans. He seems nice, but we haven't
spoken much yet and I think it'll take a few days to get used to his
accent.

Accomodations are good. We each get a closet, a few clothes drawers,
a desk with a couple of drawers (one of which has a padlock) and a
bunk. We're sharing a room with another pair of elders, whose names I
can't remember right now, but one of them went with me to San
Francisco for his VISA.

As soon as I got here I started remembering things I'd forgotten.
After I check out which things I can get from the book store, I'll
write you a list and see if you can send them to me.
Please thank Steve and Mila for the money, and Mom please thank
everyone else that gave me money earlier.

Dad, expect a few debits from my checking account here, the first of
which will be about $107, I think, for those vaccinations.
Love,
James K. Jensen

Yet another "Shame on Walmart"

No wonder the southern baptists hate us so much. I took this picture at Walmart last month, but lost it for a time. You'd think they could have at least taken down the "LDS Inspirational Center" signs, if they're going to use the stand to sell Harry Potter and "hip swag."

Farewell talk

We have all been invited to come home to our Father in Heaven.  Scripture likens the event to a wedding feast.  Our Brother is getting married, and we’ve all received invitations to the reception.  It will be held at the classiest reception hall in all the world, and (knowing that we could not possibly afford to pay our own way) He has paid the price required for each of us to come.  But there are still things that we have to do in order to come.

 

First, we need a wedding gift.  What has Jesus asked us to bring him?  Only a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  This is not just the best thing we can offer; it is the only gift that is acceptable to Him.  It is not expensive, and it is something that everybody in the world can give, if they are willing to.  If you don’t show up with this gift all wrapped up and ready to give, you won’t be allowed in.

 

Next, we need something to wear.  The dress code is something like “all white,” so you’d better not show up in street clothes.  For that matter, you’d better make sure that you’re bathed and that your clothes are clean.  These are things that he told us to do.  Too many people figure, “Hey, this is my brother.  He loves me.  He’ll let me in no matter how I come.”  The fact is, if you love Him, you will surely want to do these things that He has asked of you.  You can do all that you want that you think will make Him happy, but why not just do what He has asked you to do?  Parents, what if you told your kids that they can go to the movies if they clean their room, and when you ask them later whether they’re finished they say, “Look, I drew a picture for you!”?  You would certainly appreciate the gesture, but the child still wouldn’t be able to go to the movies.  Or if you tell your babysitter that you’ll pay her extra if she can have the dishes done and the kids in bed by the time you get home, and when you come home to a full sink and kids running around, she says, “I did some laundry.”  Believe me, God appreciates everything you do for Him, but if you can’t obey the most basic, simple things that He has asked of you, you cannot expect him to give you the rewards that he promised conditionally.

 

You can call Jesus Brother, and you can call Him Lord, but He has said:

 

21 ¶ Not every one that ^asaith^• unto me, ^bLord^•, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that ^cdoeth^• the ^dwill of my Father which is in ^eheaven^•.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not ^aprophesied^• in thy name? and in thy ^bname^• have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never ^aknew^• you: ^bdepart^• from me, ye that work ^ciniquity^•.

24 ¶ Therefore whosoever ^aheareth^• these sayings of mine, and ^bdoeth them, ^cI^• will liken him unto a ^dwise man, which ^ebuilt^• his house upon ^fa^• rock:

25 And the ^arain^• descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and ^bbeat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a ^crock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a ^afoolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that ^ahouse^•; and it ^bfell: and great was the fall of it.

 

Finally, we need to get there.  We’ve been given the address, and we’ve been given the map, but for some reason, this may be the most difficult task for us. 

 

For one thing, men are notorious for refusing to ask directions.  If we think we’re going the right direction, we’ll often refuse to even look at the map.  The problem with this is that we’ve been told there is only one route to the reception hall.  Even if it feels like you’re going the right way, if you’re on the wrong road you will eventually have to backtrack to the point where you left the given route.  The farther you go on the wrong road, the longer it will take you to get back.  Sorry, but that’s just the way things work.

 

Beware the temptation to follow the crowd.  I read a book recently where the main character’s primary navigational method is to find somebody who looks like they know where they’re going and follow them.  He rarely gets to where he was trying to go this way, but he often ends up being exactly where he needs to be.  There’s only one problem: the book is a satirical work of fiction.  Real life doesn’t work that way, as much as we want it to.  It’s so tempting to say, “Look, everybody else in the world is invited to the same party I’m invited to.  If I just find someone who looks like they know where they’re going, I’ll get there just fine.  But we’ve been warned that many, many people will not get there, and this is far too important to risk following somebody who is just following somebody, who is following somebody who felt really lucky to have found a nice wide road that’s less crowded than the one they were on.

 

The trip is much easier if you can pair up with a companion.  This way, one person can navigate while the other is driving.  The passenger can also help to make sure the driver isn’t falling asleep.

 

It is okay to show up early and over-prepared, but whatever you do, don’t show up late. Consider Luke 13, verses 24-27:

 

13:24 “Exert every effort⁸² to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 13:25 Once⁸³ the head of the house⁸⁴ gets up⁸⁵ and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, 'Lord,⁸⁶ let us in!'⁸⁷ But he will answer you,⁸⁸ 'I don't know where you come from.'⁸⁹ 13:26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'⁹⁰ 13:27 But⁹¹ he will reply,⁹² 'I don't know where you come from!⁹³ Go away from me, all you evildoers!'⁹⁴

 

Now I’m going to go out there and deliver some invitations.  I hope you’ll consult your maps, the scriptures, carefully, and that you’ll exert every effort to enter through that narrow door on time and well-prepared.  I’ll see you there. 

 

God be with you till we meet again.

 

Mission mailing address

Starting Wednesday (August 17) I will be in the Provo Missionary Training Center. While I'm there, you can send me letters at:

Elder James Kenneth Jensen
France Paris Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

After about 6-8 weeks of training, I will go to France. As soon as I get a chance, I'll let you know my specific address, but until then, send letters and/or packages to:

Elder James Kenneth Jensen
France Paris Mission
23, rue du Onze Novembre
78110 Le Vesinet
France

Telephone: 011-33-1-34-800-483

During the entire mission, there will only be one day per week that I can read and write letters, send email, and do pretty much everything else not directly mission-related (e.g. laundry). Your letters will be a source of strength and enjoyment for me while I am out there, and I hope you will keepsending them, even if I cannot respond or if my responses are short.

I will not have email access while I'm at the MTC. Once in France, I will at least be able to email my immediate family, but beyond that the rules are set by the mission president and I won't find them out until I arrive. If possible, I will try to keep posting to my blog at http://j2jensen.blogspot.com. That way, you can check up on how I'm doing without me emailing everybody all the time. Even if I am allowed to receive and respond to emails from people other than my family, I may decide not to. If this happens, it's nothing personal; I will just have a lot of veryimportant work to do while I'm out there, that's all.

God bless you all!

Love,

Elder Jensen

PS: Since I don't have email addresses for all of my friends and relatives, please forward this information to other people you know that will beinterested. Thank you.

Update: My darling Liz pointed out a typo. I will be at the MTC for 6-8 weeks, not months as originally stated.

Getting ready

I'm getting all of my final preparations together for my mission.

I gave a talk in my home ward on Sunday. I kept trying to come up with ideas for what I should talk about, and even though I liked some of them, none of them seemed like "the talk." Then, as I was outlining the talk Sunday morning, one thought really caught on, and I could tell that that was the one I was supposed to give. So I scrapped everything I’d written up to that point, and just wrote what the Spirit prompted. I finished shortly before it was time to go to church. I really enjoyed the sacrament meeting. My cousin, Chris, had arranged a piece based on “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” and "The Spirit of God" and it brought tears to my eyes as he played it. Everybody seemed to really enjoy the talk and I had several people ask me for copies of it, which felt good because it helped me to know that I’d allowed myself to be guided by the Spirit.

One thing that surprised me was when people started to hand me checks. Apparently it’s a tradition to give missionaries money. It’s nice, because it’s expensive both to serve and to prepare for a mission, but God has provided so many opportunities to earn money and my dad made a significant financial contribution and my girlfriend is buying my car from me and between all of that I expect to have more than enough to last me through the mission. So it was nice to get this money, in a sense, but it felt kind of weird accepting it. Maybe I’ll use it to buy people chocolates while I’m in France.

Blogger has a feature that lets me update my blog via email, and this is the first posting that uses that feature. We’ll have to see how it works out. I’ll ask my mission president if I can continue updating my blog. That way people can keep tabs on me without me having to email people outside my immediate family.

Last glance

Where have all the flowers gone?

Non-farewell

Since I'll be reporting to the MTC on August 17, I will be speaking in the sacrament meeting at church on Sunday, August 14. It will be in the Winder 3rd Ward, which meets in the Salt Lake Winder West Stake house at:

4551 S 1200 E
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84117

Sacrament meeting starts at 12:45 PM.

Judge Roberts, 5-4, 98-0, and What It All Means to Scouting

I'm on a mailing list where I receive updates about the Boy Scouts of America, and their continuing battle to receive funding despite homosexual and antitheist activism. This is worth sharing:

Dear Defender of Scouting,

The pending confirmation battle over President Bush’s nomination of Judge John Roberts underscores the increasingly influential role the federal courts are playing in determining social policy in this country.

The reason, of course, is activist judges who are going far beyond the proper role of the judiciary to merely interpreting the law and the clear language of the Constitution. Instead, we see too many judges becoming judicial activists, imposing their own personal agendas and ideologies on society through their rulings.

Probably no group in this country in recent years has been more affected by this development than the Scouts. After all, in the Dale decision just five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Scouts’ right to exclude openly homosexual men from serving as scoutmasters by just one vote, 5-4. This is why the confirmation of justices like Judge Roberts, who clearly is an individual who will strictly interpret the Constitution and refrain from “legislating from the bench,” is so critically important not just to the future of Scouting, but to our country.

As we report below, a runaway federal judiciary can cause great damage to an organization like the Scouts even in the face of overwhelming opposition to such decision. The most recent example of this is the injunction issued in June by Chicago Federal District Court Judge Blanche Manning. If allowed to stand, this injunction would prohibit the Defense Department from supporting future National Jamborees specifically and, by implication, Scouting generally. The Bush Administration is planning to appeal and the Scouting Legal Defense Fund will be filing an amicus brief in support.

It was a preliminary ruling last fall in this same case, originally filed in 1999 by the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that led Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to introduce the Support Our Scouts Act. Among other provisions, this bill will make it clear that the Defense Department can continue to Support the Scouts. On July 26th the Senate adopted the bill on a 98-0 vote as an amendment to the Defense Department authorization bill.

While this unanimous vote accurately demonstrates once again the overwhelming public support of Scouting, it cannot completely nullify a ruling made by an activist judge on constitutional grounds that the Defense Department cannot fund Scout activities such as the Jamboree. The only sure ways to do that is for Congress to limit the jurisdiction of the courts on Scouting issues or to amend the Constitution. Both are extremely difficult and unlikely remedies.

This means that appointing responsible judges is the only practical way to truly protect Scouting and the critical role it has played for nearly a century in building our national character. And, clearly, the most critical court to focus on is the Supreme Court.

If you have not already contacted your senators with regard to Judge Roberts’ nomination, I hope you will do so. You can find complete contact information for them at the Senate Web site. Communicating our views on this nomination to our senators is one of the most important things any of us can do to defend scouting.

Thanks for all of you efforts in this critical effort!

Sincerely,

Robert B. Carleson
Editor

P.S. You can help defend Scouting even more by making a tax deductible contribution to the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, Click here to make a secure contribution on line or to print out a form to mail in a contribution.

The Temple

I went to the temple to receive my endowments on Saturday, as planned. It was a very cool and peaceful experience. Lots of symbolism.

Afterwards, Liz and Chris and I hung out downtown at the library, and then rode Trax back home. Chris taught me to count to 100 in French (a lot more difficult than you might think!) and Liz took a nap. Then we went to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at the dollar theater (actually, more like $1.50). It was pretty funny, and even though it didn't really stick close to the book's plot, it was very true to the spirit of the book.

Today at sacrament meeting, some friends and I sang an a capella rendition of All Creatures of Our God and King, which I'm told sounded really good. Also, the bishop took some time during sacrament meeting to give a word of encouragement that was really what I needed to hear. He told a story about two pails that were used by a woman to carry water home from the well each day. One of the pails had a leak, so that by the time she got back home it was only half full. The pail apologized to the woman one day for not doing his part.
The woman replied, "Everyone has something different to share with the world."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, have you noticed all the beautiful flowers that have grown along your side of the road, because of the water that you share with them as we walk?"

Sometimes I tend to be too hard on myself for not doing everything as well as it seems they ought to be done. I'd like to start noticing the good that I am able to do, and the things that I am able to contribute simply because I don't do all the same things that other people do.

It's been a while

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been pretty busy doing mundane stuff that wasn't really worth reporting, and my interesting, deep thoughts have been mostly of the sort that I'd rather not share with the world. But mostly my life just hasn't been that interesting.

I've been working for a couple more weeks with GE, and I'll be working until August 9th, if memory serves, which will give me a week without work before my mission. Liz and I have gone shopping for mission prep stuff a couple of times now, and I'm to the point where I pretty much only need a few short-sleeved white shirts and I'll be ready to go!

Tomorrow morning, I'll be going to the Salt Lake Temple. I'm getting pretty excited. From what I hear, it's a very peaceful and beautiful experience. It's sacred enough that Latter-Day Saints don't actually give details on what happens there, so don't expect a very detailed report, but if I get a chance, I'll make a post to say as much as I feel good about saying.

I finished reading the latest Harry Potter book (The Half-Blood Prince) last night. Harry's a lot less whiny in this one than he was in the last book, which is refreshing. It revealed a lot more details about Voldemort and exactly what Harry was going to have to do in order to defeat him. It also did something that I don't think any of the other books in the series have done, in that it didn't quite wrap up everything at the end. I'll just say this: people who just let themselves be spoon-fed will feel one way about a particular character at the end of the book, while those who have been reading carefully and picking up on the hints will come away with a very different impression.

Well, I can't think of much else that's on my mind, so I hope you'll excuse me. Ta.

Internship position

The folks at work have asked me to recommend someone to hire as a regulatory intern this coming year. I don't know who all's looking for jobs, so if you're interested let me know. Of course, I have to actually know you well enough that I feel good about recommending you.

KSL News: 6-Alarm Fire at Wasatch Jr. High

KSL News: 6-Alarm Fire at Wasatch Jr. High
I attended this school in seventh grade. Weird.

Holidays

I overheard some co-workers having a discussion at work today that sounded interesting, so I joined in and asked what the deal was. Apparently, when one of my co-workers was working with another company, she had a manager that was LDS and he decided that instead of taking a holiday on Good Friday like the rest of their corporation, he traded that holiday for Pioneer Day, forcing everybody else there to do likewise. Because of this, she is now adamantly opposed to the celebration of Pioneer Day as a state holiday. "Why does this state shut down," she kept asking, "to celebrate a religious holiday." She was really upset. And I don't just mean bothered--her eye was actually twitching as we talked about it!

I really have a hard time understanding how somebody could get so angry about something like that. I mean, for one thing, I don't even think of Pioneer Day as a religious holiday. In fact, I don't think that the LDS church really has any unique religious holidays. We celebrate Christmas and Easter, just like anybody else. But if we wanted a religious holiday, I would think that they'd have chosen April 6, which has a lot more significance to Latter-day Saints than July 24. Now, it's true that some Mormons celebrate Pioneer Day outside of Utah, but it's also true that some Americans celebrate Independence Day outside of the United States. It's a cultural thing. July 24 marks the passage of the LDS pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, which I think is appropriate to recognize as a state holiday, considering the impact that it had on shaping Utah's history. Massachussetts observes a few holidays relating to the Revolutionary War, for instance, because of the significant role that those events played in their history. That's the spirit in which we celebrate Pioneer Day. I really don't think anybody ever intended it to be a religious holiday.

Of course, according to a recent Supreme Court decision, it apparently doesn't matter what the intent was. They decided that if an imaginary observer might conceivably feel that something endorses religion, that's enough to prevent the government from sponsoring it on any level. So who knows? Maybe one of these days somebody will get angry and sue the State, and they'll have to stop letting State workers off for Pioneer Day. And then maybe somebody will use that as a precedent to force the entire nation (or at least the nation's government workers) to stop observing Christmas and Easter. Or maybe God will see fit to humble us to the point where we're willing to recognize that we depend on Him, and that our nation would never be what it is today without Him, and maybe we'll decide that atheists can either shut up or move to Canada. Who knows?

What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more

What if the church, for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates

Chorus:
What if His people prayed
And all who bare His name
Would humbly seek His face
And Turn from their own way

And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do

-- Casting Crowns