The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King

Queen Elizabeth II

Yesterday marked the end of the lavish and extensive farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch in history. She was on the throne of England for 70 years. It's hard to imagine now that her predecessor King George III was the object of so much hatred and vitriol for the American revolutionaries, given the universal outpouring of love for her from all around the world. History is a cruel teacher sometimes, but all that is now seemingly forgotten in the annals of time.

In 2015, she became the longest-living monarch. She quipped that she had never aspired to that distinction. She died at age 96. There isn't anyone on earth, probably, who wouldn't like to believe she will be reunited with her king consort husband Prince Philip, who lived until he was 99 years old. Now they lie side by side in Windsor Castle. That thought persisted with me all week. Death comes to each of us, whether commoner, king or queen. One thing is certain - eternal life is linked inexorably to temple covenants, available to all, but only through authorized servants of God.

I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England from 1967 to 1969, and I have long been an admirer of the Queen. I taught many of her commoners while there. Some of them joined the Church, and all would eventually testify of the hope they discovered in the temple covenants available to them. I suspect the spirit world will be an awakening for her and for Prince Philip as they learn how they may indeed be linked eternally to each other through sealing ordinances if they desire it. 

So many of us are casual observers of the monarchy. Few people can even articulate what all the pageantry, symbolism and ceremonies are surrounding it. One commenter on my Twitter feed observed, "Nobody does pomp like the British." He is right. If it is simplicity you crave, don't look for it inside the dominion of the crown. 

I have also been pondering if enough time has passed in England for the subjects to have forgiven the treatment Princess Diana received at the hands of her husband, Prince Charles. Incompatibility and extramarital affairs brought their ill-fated marriage to divorce. It was a scandal only worthy of British royalty. Now after a lifetime of waiting, King Charles III ascends the throne. His son William and his two grandsons ensure the monarchy will live on into the future.

As I pondered the events in England, I found the timing of the announcement yesterday of the location of the new Heber City Temple to be perfect. We concluded our stake conference in Kamas on Sunday, and reference was made that no one yet knew the location of the new temple. We will be in the Heber City Temple district when it is completed, so naturally we have discussed its location with much anticipation for a year since its initial announcement. In the temple we perform proxy ordinances such as baptisms, initiatory, endowments and sealings for our kindred dead family members. It is a work that will be ongoing for generations to come throughout the millennium. It is in the temple we are promised we can be together as families forever, sealed and bound to one another into the eternities ahead. It is more than an idle thought for us, and it is more than speculative. It is a certainty with us if we are true and faithful to our covenants.

Supreme Court Gets It Right in Overturning Roe v. Wade (finally)

Yesterday, June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the fifty-year abortion ruling effectively legalizing abortion in all fifty states. They simply referred abortion law back to the states, where it should have been all along, according to the majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito. What yesterday's ruling does not do is outlaw abortion. The Justices in the majority believed the states' elected representatives should make their own laws, removing from the Supreme Court the responsibility not granted to them in the Constitution. There will be continuous debate on this issue going forward into the November mid-term elections and beyond. Contrary to popular misguided opinion that is being trumpeted from the streets, this ruling will do far more to protect the rights of women nationwide than it will to curtail those rights.

What we believe about abortion determines much of who we are as individuals and as a nation. We are about evenly divided if the deadlock in the Senate over the number of Republicans and Democrats is an indicator. Abortion is carefully defined as "Pro-Choice" in one camp, and "Pro-Life" in the other. 

Truthfully, since Roe v. Wade was upheld fifty years ago, America has killed more fetuses in the womb than any other civilized nation on earth. A woman's choice begins with the decision to have unprotected sex, not when she doesn't like the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy after the fact of conception. There are exceptions that are attempted to be carved out of laws prohibiting abortion, but those laws will now be written by the individual states going forward. 

This legal concept of "states rights" is embedded in the concept of "federalism" as defined by our Founding Fathers. I have written about it extensively in the past. They held that the federal government should only be granted limited powers, while reserving to the states the broader powers that would assure the governed should have a larger voice in the local government closest to them. We must reject the loose and inflammatory rhetoric that will ramp up this summer, and anchor our public debate to the underlying core principles written in the Constitution. That is the path the Supreme Court has opted to follow, and I endorse their leadership.

The key elements of the majority opinion, in my view are these:

We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely — the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. That provision has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U. S. 702, 721 (1997) (internal quotation marks omitted). . .

It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives. “The permissibility of abortion, and the limitations, upon it, are to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting.” Casey, 505 U. S., at 979 (Scalia, J., concurring in judgment in part and dissenting in part). That is what the Constitution and the rule of law demand.

You can read the entire text of the opinion here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life. Therefore, the Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience, and counsels its members not to submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions.

The Church allows for possible exceptions for its members when:

• Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or
• A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or
• A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

Even these exceptions do not automatically justify abortion. Abortion is a most serious matter. It should be considered only after the persons responsible have received confirmation through prayer. Members may counsel with their bishops as part of this process.

The Church’s position on this matter remains unchanged. As states work to enact laws related to abortion, Church members may appropriately choose to participate in efforts to protect life and to preserve religious liberty.

Fathers Matter

 I have been focused this morning on the 12 fathers in our extended family in the next generation, and the three additional fathers in the generation after that. I am deeply humbled by how they have far exceeded my performance as a father, as I look back on all the years since we were married. In every particular they have excelled and continue to bless the lives of their wives and their children.

It is characteristic of this generation, perhaps, that when circumstances get difficult too many fathers abandon their families and move away from their responsibilities and seek what may appear to be easier paths. However, for those who keep after it and stay the course, there are immeasurable blessings in store both here in this life and in the life eternal beyond.

Last week we attended an endowment session in the Jordan River Temple, and then two sealing sessions after that. We were reminded by one of the sealers that perhaps we all knew each other in the pre-existence, and we may have met people who knew their time on earth would not come at a time when the fulness of the gospel ordinances would be available to them. Perhaps they approached us in the pre-existence and asked us to do that proxy ordinance work for them. We readily agreed, and week by week we go now and perform that ministering labor on their behalf. Will they accept our efforts? Of course they will. They are our progenitors. We have the fulness of the gospel among us in this dispensation, and we are their seed. Embedded in our souls is the spiritual DNA we inherited from them. In that session I offered the observation to the group that had come to me just that morning as we sat pondering the scriptures in the chapel before the endowment session began. I read in Moses in the Pearl of Great Price:

And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God.

And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. (Moses 1:27-28).

I also suggested this process might be similar to that which the Savior surely must have experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane when He suffered alone for the sins of everyone, even for all the souls on all the worlds on which they had lived and He created, "worlds without end." The atonement is individual and it is infinite and eternal. It touches everyone with the exclusion of no one, and He knows each of us personally. He knows our names, and He knows our circumstances. He loves us and He will succor us individually as we reach out for His help. We are never left alone and we are never left comfortless. It's the reason we have a prophet in our midst who is pleading for us to cultivate our relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to get on and to stay on the covenant path.

"For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39).

So, on this Fathers Day 2022, let me offer my congratulations to all the fathers who are doing their best to honor their covenants and to help their children find and then stay on the covenant path. It is a great work in this generation to do the work of bringing to pass the mortality of children, and to work in the gospel harness with God the Father and Jesus Christ who will add to our work their work of immortality and eternal life.

If you are one who is seemingly on the brink of walking away, I encourage you to stay the course, pray for the help to sustain you, and seek professional help if needed. There is nothing "out there" to surpass your role as father in the lives of your children. They will repay you a hundred fold in the years ahead.

Thursday Wash Line

Today, random thoughts have been brewing. Chief among them is that today is Yogi Berra's birthday. To the uninitiated it may seem inconsequential in the larger scheme of things, but to me he was a childhood hero. From Little League through high school baseball and beyond I always sought out number "8" to wear on my uniform, because, like Yogi, I was a catcher. Some said that to strap on all the gear required to be a catcher was to suit up in the "tools of ignorance." But Yogi inspired me. So did Johnny Bench later on. Roy Campanella was another favorite of mine. Call me stupid, but I relished having a complete view of the field and being involved in every single play on the diamond. I got to call the pitches, throw out runners, block home plate against charging base runners attempting to score, and contribute my bat to the lineup when it was our turn to hit. I love baseball, and Yogi was the personification of goofiness, odd ball quotes and World Series greatness. The reason Yogi held so many World Series records was the Yankees got to the World Series A LOT in those years. Perhaps the triumph of his career was the game where Yogi caught Don Larsen's perfect game five in the 1956 World Series against the dreaded Brooklyn Dodgers. That's a highlight memory I have never forgotten. 

I've been silent on this page about the tragic war going on in Ukraine. Russia, more specifically Vladimir Putin, has once again shown its true colors as an aggressor in the region. Whatever justification he uses for his attempted invasion has fallen short in the midst of widespread reports of civilian casualties. Many believe he should be assassinated or at the very least held to account as a war criminal. The Ukrainians have stood up to attempts to overrun their country. Whatever your political persuasion, there could be no justification that stands up to close scrutiny of Putin's motives. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was ridiculed when he ran for President of the United States for asserting his belief that Russia was at the nexus of evil in the world. His views then now have proven prescient. Sensing a weak resolve on the part of American leadership, no doubt, Putin has pushed the envelope when it comes to gaining any favor in the world community for his actions. Indeed, Finland and Sweden have now announced they are seeking NATO membership to help bolster their defense against any future attempts by Russia to overrun their sovereignty. Until the Savior Jesus Christ comes again, we have been warned and forewarned about "wars and rumors of war." We see it playing out every night on the news.

I read this morning that broccoli has properties within it that prevent against COVID-19 and all its variants. Patsy has long advocated the benefits of broccoli, and of all the vegetables available to her broccoli has been her go-to choice forever. We did get fully vaccinated against the virus, but who's to say the reason we never got COVID-19 was because we consumed so much broccoli? It may be the perfect food. Never doubt the wisdom of Patsy when it comes to broccoli.

The leaked proposed majority opinion memo from Justice Samuel Alito of the Supreme Court over what appears to signal the imminent repeal of the controversial Roe v. Wade abortion law has caused a nationwide furor as both sides of that debate are at it again with a new fury. The houses of the justices are being routinely picketed daily right now in an attempt to sway the seeming resolve of the justices to overturn the law. The upcoming midterm election looms in November. Until then it will seem there are no other issues on the agenda for candidates. The rhetoric will be difficult to hack through in search of what is in the best interests of Americans on this issue. Prepare for a raucous and disruptive summer leading into the midterms.

We put a new roof on our house recently. It took them only three days from start of finish. The crew showed up early each morning, and they worked until the sun went down. In contrast, I am watching the house building project next door that goes painstakingly slow. Today the excavation company is working (as they have for many days) to sift through boulders to salvage fill dirt. It seems it takes so long to make something worthwhile and long-lasting. War and all the destruction and waste that accompanies it can decimate whole cities and countries in a matter of days. I hope and pray we may always be on the side of building and creating something that lasts and endures. It is better to create than to decimate.

I do not know the meaning of all things, but like Yogi, I know "it's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

He Is Risen! He Is Risen, Indeed!

The historic events of the Easter season revolve around the Son of God. His last week of mortal life began with Palm Sunday, where throngs crowded the narrow streets of Jerusalem to welcome the Messiah. They cut palm tree branches and with their outer garments covered the ground on which He entered the city on the back of a donkey. It was a triumphal entry into the city and marked the beginning of a week never to be repeated again, because there never would be another Savior. He is the Only Begotten Son of the Father. Many knew Him and worshipped Him openly on that Sunday. He proceeded to the temple where He cast out the money changers and cleansed it for a second time.

Of course, the population was divided in their opinions about Him. Later that same week many would stand in the open courtyard and shout, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!," as the Romans bowed to the wishes of the Jewish leaders who accused Him of blasphemy before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Only Roman law could render the capital punishment required that they demanded. And what was His crime? That He dared to declare himself as God's Son. And there were witnesses!

It seemed Christ and all the prophets who came before Him and those who came after Him would be destined to the same fate. When a prophet speaks truth it divides the people. It has not changed in our day, nor should we expect that it would.

The Savior, seeking to prepare His Apostles for His impending death and resurrection, took them into an upper room nearby to share the Passover Saddar meal with them. He taught them and introduced the ordinance of the sacrament emblematic of His body and blood that would be offered as a sacrifice to satisfy the demands of justice. He broke the bread and instructed them: "Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many." (Mark 14:22-24).

He was betrayed to the Roman troops and the other Jews who came for Him later in the Garden of Gethsemane. His Apostle, Judas Iscariot, "one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:47-48). For the pre-arranged fee of thirty pieces of silver (the cost of a common slave) the act was done.

Christ was scourged, beaten, tried before Romans and the Jewish hierarchy, and ultimately Pilate washed his hands of the matter, stating that Christ was innocent but he bowed to the wishes of the mob. Christ was nailed by His hands and His wrists and His feet to a crude wooden cross. He was mocked, spat upon and crucified on the hill known as Golgotha outside the city walls after enduring the agony He suffered in Gethsemane where he bled from every pore. (See D&C 19:15-19). 

His body was taken down in haste by His followers because evening was coming on and they wanted to complete the burial before Shabbat began at sundown. The tomb was donated by Joseph of Arimathea. A large round stone was placed in front of the opening to prevent, as they supposed, His loyal followers from coming later to retrieve the body and claim the resurrection He had prophesied would happen. The tomb was empty three days later, and the glorious resurrection was a reality.

On the morning of the third day, "the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre." (John 20:1). She encountered two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain. She turned and saw a man she supposed to be the gardener, and then she recognized Him as the risen Lord. He instructed her to go back into the city and to tell the remaining Apostles what she had witnessed. 

They met later that night, and "the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." (John 20:19-20).

Thomas of Didymus, one of the Apostles, was absent that night, but later saw with his own eyes the risen Lord. He encouraged Thomas to feel the prints in his hands and the scar in His side, and admonished, "be not faithless, but believing." (John 20:27). "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:29).

Enjoy this Easter concert by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square:

It is my witness that Christ reveals Himself to us each day of our lives if our eyes are open and our ears attuned to His spirit. When we attend the temple He further reveals Himself, even to those of us like Thomas who have not seen but believe. 

Last week, our assigned high councilor, Bill Atkin, who works and travels extensively throughout the world for the Church's legal department, told us of a needlepoint piece of art he had picked up during his travels in Ukraine. He explained a traditional Easter greeting in the Greek and Russian Orthodox Church is the exclamation “He is risen!” and the traditional response is “He is risen, indeed!” The words are sometimes accompanied by the exchange of three kisses on alternate cheeks, depending on the church. In the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the greeting is called the “Paschal greeting” and is a very old custom.

It would be a worldwide phenomenon indeed, if we could all greet each other routinely wherever we live with the faith inherent in that tradition.