Of the Blunt Edge World

A kind of singular event happened three weeks ago. And it has been swirling near the tops of the rose colored mists in the center this universe. So, maybe I can talk about it in conjunction with some of the other random swirling mists down here on The Blunt Edge.

A couple families in my ward have blogs as well. You may have seen them by checking my Recommended Reading section. They are a lot more prolific than I, and they utilize their blogs in a much different way. Their blogs are much like a sliding glass back door into their virtual family room. Nice feeling of where friends are welcome to come by and visit. The authors (the wives in the respective families) of these blogs made a couple posts that were just too… um… um… Oh what is that word I’m thinking of…?

Sweet? Precious? Funny? … Nah that makes it sound too sissy. Okay, so how does a guy describe the impression of something just oozing with all that good old maternal love and familial discovery and pleasantry without making it sound like he is inferring there is something Molly-ish about it? I don’t know that a guy can effectively. One of those natural man type things I think. It is kind of like trying to indicate you appreciate the beauty of the loving touch and art form represented in scrap-booking even if one does not find a lot of personal utility in it as a personal hobby.

Swirling mists of rose-colored bluntness indeed! I just derailed myself! Okay, getting back on topic, how about the word “Endearing?” Yeah, that works for me to describe the posts of these dear, kind-hearted friends. Anyway, in the typical grand Mr. Sensitive fashion Yours Truly is legend for; I post a comment to their respective blogs under my incognito persona sharing in the humor, forgetting they don’t know who it is. One of them informs me at church she temporarily freaked out they were being blog-stalked until her husband reassured her who it was. I had made mention to the other friend of her post and my comment next time I saw her at Church so that she could put it all together without freaking out, but had forgotten to mention it to the first.

It is strange in an ironic sort of way. The level of privacy I have erected to protect myself and those close to me – from those in the virtual world who may be anywhere as innocuous as vultures and scavengers to the truly vindictive or of evil intent – comes back to bite me in the bum like a deerfly! Write it on a post-it note and staple it to my forehead… Remember direct, discrete AND timely personal communication in the real world is always a good idea.

Perhaps a virtual deerfly bite is worse than a papercut from a blunt edge!

Of Fitting In

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about social networks and the need we all have to feel included as part of a group. We all seek to be part of what is inclusive of us, and feel let down if we don’t seem to feel like a part of this group or that group. We wonder why in our rose colored view, the group and its members are so exclusive. Why don’t we fit into the pecking order, or better yet, why is there a pecking order to begin with?

We are social beings. It is in our nature. It is not just our mortal physical and emotional need to be connected to others of our species. Hopefully without this sounding too Zen like, our social nature is a part of our spiritual essence.

This is just my opinion. I think we all were quite socially active in the pre-existence. No, we weren’t all the social butterfly, center of attention type, but we were most likely like innocent young children are here with other children. They are not strangers to one another. They are fresh from a higher plane, fresh from our Father’s presence, so you got to know they are reflecting a lot of how we socialized there.

Something happens to each of us here, though, in our mortal development. It changes this sort of innocence and us. We are conditioned to be distrustful of others we don’t know. The concept of “A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet” becomes foreign to us. The conditioning has a profound, yet often unrecognized impact, on each of us. And, the impact is as individual as each of us are, because it gets filtered through our own rose-colored glasses of perception and experience and plastered back out on the world without our taking notice.

To tell the truth, there are many times where I come away from some activity or meeting at Church feeling like I am still somehow on the outside of the “in” group. Even if it is just for not having any one to regularly and socially talk with in the hall. And, if I let it, it could get me down. Sometimes I let it. But, most of the time, I choose not to. The Lord is no respecter of individuals. He looks on the heart of the individual. So, I try to adjust my outlook to match.

Sadly, there are people who really do let this facet of feeling “out” of the group interfere with their ability to grow spiritually, impact their testimony of and relationship to The Lord, and in being part of Zion.

And this all begs the question, why do some people feel the need to establish a pecking order in the first place or to maintain it? Maybe they have been or allowed themselves to be conditioned to the point that they are a stranger to themselves and their only sense of self or self-esteem is in creating an artificial construct that prevents the erosion of the sandy foundation they are on.

Perhaps part of our learning curve is to get over the tendency we have to isolate and let ourselves be isolated from others. To learn true charity and to become more like a Zion people, maybe our learning to look at the hearts of individuals (as well as ourselves) instead of respecting individuals (or groups thereof and our apparent lack of being part of them) is part of the way to truly appreciate others in our lives and the cornucopia they represent. The next few articles I post to the Blunt Edge are going to share a little of the cornucopia I am blessed with. Maybe it will help you to recognize some of the richness you may be missing or downright ignoring from your own universe.

Of Foisting Foolish Foibles...

The Prophet Joseph Smith said: "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (History of the Church, 4:540)

The man who said this was a Prophet of God. A man, who chosen by The Lord, was schooled and trained by Him and heavenly messengers from a young age. A man who despite all the greatness of impact he had on others, was always humble and cognizant of his position and that ultimately, he was not indispensable in The Lord's work.

In fact, the catalyst that initiated the beginning of the Restoration of Christ's full Gospel, authority, and kingdom upon the earth, came about because this man, while but a boy, first asked a question of God in full humility. A couple years later, having as he himself described, been involved in activities that would be categorized as youthful foibles, he asked God what his standing was before him. Joseph made it clear he was not guilty of anything bad, just that "I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been." (Joseph Smith History 1:28) This was a 17 year old boy who was feeling this!

Oh the integrity of that young man! While scores of individuals and groups seek to discredit Joseph as being a charlatan and worse, I will maintain my position of knowing Joseph was called of God, and that despite his imperfections, he was indeed a true prophet. His life and attributes are worthy of emulation, and I hope to someday be worthy of dwelling in the same realm of glory he and all other true and faithful servants of The Lord have inherited by the Grace of God and by being cleansed in the blood of The Lamb.

In today's world, there is a great famine for integrity. The doctrines of relativism abound, and Satan is having a hey-day with people of all religious persuasions. It is not just those who do not consider themselves religious anymore. Certainly not just those who consider themselves athiests.

In the last couple of days, the latest bad press story aimed at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the discovery that sometime in 2006, a trio of full-time missionaries allegedly physically damaged a shrine owned by a Catholic parish in Colorado. There are photos that were posted somewhere on the internet that also appear to show the trio being disrespectful of the parish's chapel and altar. The parish has voted to press charges. I do not know if it is simply against the three men, who clearly behaved foolishly and without integrity, or if it is towards The Church in general.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter to you or me who the charges are leveled at. We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are a peculiar people. As such, we as a people are subject to greater scrutiny and scorn when one or some amongst us do something that is stupid, wrong, or worse -- criminal. So what that the anti's and disgruntled apostates take this and use it to hammer the members, missionaries, and Church at large... it won't stop the work from going forward though. It will not ultimately hinder the work or progress of the Church in building up The Lord's kingdom.

Unfortunately, there are some among us who unconsciously infer the above cited statement by The Prophet Joseph Smith means they can act and behave without thought of the consequence. It has likely been that way from the beginning of this dispensation. Well, sure it has. Weren't the early Saints driven from Missouri as a result of their pride, sins and transgressions? (see Doctrine & Covenants 101 and 105)

We as individuals and His servants are not to go forth with brashness, scorn for others, or pride. We are commanded to do our duties with humility and charity... as The Master whom we serve did during His earthly ministry.

What went wrong with these three men (behaving as spiritually immature children)? Where was the integrity and common sense that should have been there for three men who were called by Him and set apart from the things of this world to be an example unto the world as they acted in the role they were supposed to act in? All kinds of excuses can be made for and about what they did, but the fact remains, they acted poorly.

Parents, leaders, advisors, and anyone else who influences youth...

... you do those you mentor no service by not teaching and expecting responsible behavior from them, and heaven help us if you have taught the wrong concept of responsible behavior!
... you do those you mentor no service by rubber stamping them through programs and cutting corners on requirements for awards, thinking that spirit of the law always supercedes the letter.
... you do those you mentor no service by indulging them by providing Pavlovian rewards for good behavior, like have some candy for bringing your scriptures.
... you do those you mentor no service by not making consequences stick for bad behavior, or worse if the consequences you do apply have no teeth.
... you do those you mentor no service by ignoring the ease with which teens who are bored and have led fairly comfortable lives fall into attitudes and habits of disrespect, because afterall they aren't really being prideful, right?

And yes...

... you do not stand morally blameless when stuff like what these three did happens if you did not labor dilligently within your stewardship.