"Trump Guilty" - What's Really Behind the Story?

I will confess my naivete about the political and legal circus we have witnessed in recent days as it played out in a New York courtroom. To say the least, a unanimous guilty verdict against Trump on 34 felony counts by a jury should awaken the American electorate as nothing else might. But I remain resolutely indifferent to what happened yesterday.

Why? Because at the base of all of it is a fundamental moral principle that has been ignored. From the moment Moses descended from Mount Sinai where he revealed the Ten Commandments for the first time, this seventh commandment has been widely ignored in the avalanche of reporting that has been done:

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." 

(Exodus 20:14)

Imagine how different the world would be this morning if we were living in a country built not just on Constitutional law, but on a higher moral law! I am certain the debate will rage for all the days hence until the election on November 5th. Trump is the master of the three-ring circus, and is using his conviction as a fund-raising platform. The other side will relish using the term "convicted felon" from here on going forward. 

Years ago on this page, I wrote an entry entitled "Personal Righteousness, Key to Governing America." You can read it here. I still believe it today.

You will hear legal experts and political pundits trying to score points for their respective teams, and all of it will be rhetorical at best. None of it will focus on Trump's well-known infidelity to his wife. Why? Because infidelity is so commonplace these days most are giving the former president a pass. What he did to cover up his sins to curry favor in 2016 among voters only compounded his underlying adultery. The lawyers can argue about the seriousness of breaking the law, but there will be a thorough and exhausting back-and-forth that will weary even the staunchest political observers and adherents.

The law of chastity is a bedrock among the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with all our like-minded Christian brothers and sisters of other persuasions. 

Why should parents teach their children about procreation and chastity? How can they appropriately do this? God commanded each living thing to reproduce after its own kind (see Genesis 1:22). Reproduction was part of His plan so that all forms of life could continue to exist upon the earth.

Then He placed Adam and Eve on the earth. They were different from His other creations because they were His spirit children. In the Garden of Eden, He brought Adam and Eve together in marriage and commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth (see Genesis 1:28). However, their lives were to be governed by moral laws rather than by instinct.

God wanted His spirit children to be born into families so they could be properly cared for and taught. We, like Adam and Eve, are to provide physical bodies for these spirit children. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have stated, “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). God has commanded us that only in marriage between a man and a woman are we to have sexual relations. This commandment is called the law of chastity.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“In the first place, we believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. We believe that marriage may be eternal through exercise of the power of the everlasting priesthood in the house of the Lord.

“People inquire about our position on those who consider themselves so-called gays and lesbians. My response is that we love them as sons and daughters of God. They may have certain inclinations which are powerful and which may be difficult to control. Most people have inclinations of one kind or another at various times. If they do not act upon these inclinations, then they can go forward as do all other members of the Church. If they violate the law of chastity and the moral standards of the Church, then they are subject to the discipline of the Church, just as others are.

“We want to help these people, to strengthen them, to assist them with their problems and to help them with their difficulties. But we cannot stand idle if they indulge in immoral activity, if they try to uphold and defend and live in a so-called same-sex marriage situation. To permit such would be to make light of the very serious and sacred foundation of God-sanctioned marriage and its very purpose, the rearing of families.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 71).

As a former bishop and a member of bishoprics and high councils, I have witnessed firsthand the sorrow and contrition of those who seek repentance for their violations of the law of chastity. Sins can be blotted out, forgiveness can be extended, and those who have strayed from the path of discipleship may and are encouraged to return to full fellowship in the Church. However, it has been my observation that the memory of those sins once committed is more difficult to purge from our consciousness. In time, it is hoped, even those awful memories can fade away.

I will quickly add, however, that I have forgotten the names, faces and circumstances of most of those with whom I have interacted years ago on those occasions, and if I can forget, then so can our Father in Heaven.

The Lord told Alma, “Whosoever transgresseth against me … if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also” (Mosiah 26:29).

Each of us has a loving Father in Heaven. Through the Father’s redeeming plan, those who may stumble and fall “are not cast off forever” (Book of Mormon title page).

“And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (D&C 18:13).

“The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless” (D&C 1:31–32), the Lord said, “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42).

Could there be any sweeter or more consoling words, more filled with hope, than those words from the scriptures? “I, the Lord, remember [their sins] no more” (D&C 58:42).

I conclude with these glorious promises from Jesus Christ:

"And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them - Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths - then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

"Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory.

"For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.

"But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.

"This is eternal lives - to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law." (D&C 132:19-24).

I began by saying I was naïve. I would be foolhardy to think Donald J. Trump would ever consent to turn his life over to God and join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and partake of the fulness of the gospel that is available to him. He may never confess his sins publicly about his well-publicized infidelity to his wife, but I can at least hope the bombastic defiance coming out of him could somehow be quelled to even a fraction of what it has been.

I would settle for that. . . and for the rest of us, let's keep the 7th Commandment.

My Latest Temple Road Trip

I went in search of the sun last week. It took me to southern Utah, where I found temperatures in the 80s, blue skies and plentiful spiritual blessings. I stopped for endowment sessions in the Manti Temple, St. George Temple and Red Cliffs Temple.

Manti was an added bonus as I headed south. I veered off at Spanish Fork, realizing I could not make that trip complete without a side trip to Sanpete County. I was rewarded with a deep appreciation for the sacrifice of our pioneer ancestors' workmanship on that magnificent edifice. It is one of the few remaining temples that teaches us our mortal quest is always an upward climb by using staircases between each ascending room. It's a feature we don't often get anymore in the modern temples. The original murals remain, and they are totally unique.

Years ago, as Patsy and I attended a session there, those in attendance who were familiar with the veil ceremony were asked to please come forward and assist at the veil. They must have been short of veil workers that day. It was the first time I had done that, and gave me my first glimpse of stepping into the shoes of Elohim. I helped a trembling young bride who was going through the temple for the first time on her wedding day. She was obviously overwhelmed with the experience, and nowadays we suggest going through a few days before the wedding to avoid what can otherwise be too much emotion all packed in to one momentous day.

I loved being there last week, especially as we moved into the Terrestrial Room and waited for our turns to go through the veil and then into the Celestial Room. Once again, we climbed a few steps upward to access the veil. As I entered the Celestial Room, I was overcome with the LIGHT in the room pouring through the windows. I sat for a few minutes, prayed, and pondered. I had been asked to speak in my home ward's sacrament meeting yesterday, which I did, and my topic was to describe my path in discipleship. 

I realized in that moment in the Manti Temple that I was nearing the end of my path in mortality. It's an increasing awareness I have these days. My discipleship has culminated in my love for the temple covenants and the enhanced changes President Russell M. Nelson has made in the plainness and superb teachings around the covenants we now receive. 

My next stop that afternoon was in St. George. I chose a hotel near the St. George Temple, and attended an endowment session the following morning. I have such fond memories of attending the St. George Temple in the days when I served as a national vice-president to President Tom Pike in Sigma Gamma Chi, the college men's Church fraternity. We were serving concurrently with the national officers of Lamda Delta Sigma, including Barbara Winder and Joanne Doxey, who would later serve in the General Presidency of the Relief Society. Whenever we made a trip to the campuses in southern Utah, we always included an endowment session with our spouses who were able to accompany us. Those were treasured memories.

The St. George Temple has been restored to its pioneer heritage. Every detail is outstanding, and the color scheme of deep blue hues breathtaking. The baptistry's ironwork is impressive and totally unique. Once again, I was deeply impressed with the evidence of the hard work that had gone into building the temple originally. President Brigham Young and President Wilford W. Woodruff were instrumental in fleshing out the design of the endowment presentation that was first introduced in St. George, improving upon the basic outline that had been revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. 

Here's the order of completion and dedication of the Utah temples: 

1 St. George Utah Temple 6–8 April 1877         Daniel H. Wells

2 Logan Utah Temple 17–19 May 1884         John Taylor

3 Manti Utah Temple 17 May 1888                 Wilford Woodruff

4 Salt Lake Temple 6–24 April 1893         Wilford Woodruff

Someday in the next couple of years, we will all participate in the rededication the Salt Lake Temple. I await that day with eager anticipation.

The final day of my recent temple trip concluded with an endowment session in the new Red Cliffs Temple with my sister Jane Reiser who now lives in St. George. I have been so accustomed this past year of not participating in the prayer circle since Patsy's passing that I was surprised when Jane tapped me on the shoulder and invited me to join her. Laurence, her husband, had also passed away this last year, so we were mutually blessed in our time together in this new temple. The interior design in Red Cliffs complements the desert landscape in that part of the world beautifully.

As I stood later in the locker room beside another brother while we waited for our locker to clear, I asked him where he was from. His response was that he lived in Nauvoo. He had worked as a contracted painter on the gold leafing in the Nauvoo Temple, and they liked it so much that he and his wife bought a home there. Then he was called as a full-time worker missionary to paint other temples. After that assignment, he was hired as a full-time employee of the engineering company that had contracted with the Church to paint many other temples. He explained he was on vacation at the moment, doing what he loved doing best - attending temples because he loves temples so much.

I reflected on our brief visit for these days since. We are blessed beyond measure for our devotion to the ordinances of the temple. That's where the real power resides, not in the beautiful architecture as impressive as it is. Here was a man, typical I suspect of many, many saints in the Church today, who are becoming the very temple-loving people President Nelson is hoping we will be. 

And, yes, I did return to a chapel full of ward members and visitors yesterday in the Woodland Ward to give a brief account of my path in discipleship. I suspect I am not unusual when I say that from the first day I received my first temple recommend until now, I have always had a current recommend, and my circumstances make it possible for me to attend the temples of my choice A LOT. How blessed I am!

Am I Worthy to Enter the Temple?

On October 6, 2019, the First Presidency under the direction of President Russell M. Nelson issued a press release that explained the temple recommend questions asked by local Church leaders to members seeking to obtain a temple recommend would be made public. What follows are those questions for your consideration. Please note: The questions are more directed at individuals to ask themselves and are introspective in their nature.

Andrew and Jessica Goates

The interview questions are made public so members of all ages can better understand the requirements for temple worship and prepare to enter the temple.

The interview questions for temple recommends are below. Verbiage in 11 questions has been modified. Questions 12 and 13 are omitted when youth are interviewed for a limited-use recommend.

1. Do you have faith in and a testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?

2. Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?

3. Do you have a testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

4. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?

   Do you sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?

   Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local leaders of the Church?

5. The Lord has said that all things are to be “done in cleanliness” before Him (Doctrine and Covenants 42:41).

   Do you strive for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior?

   Do you obey the law of chastity?

6. Do you follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ in your private and public behavior with members of your family and others?

7. Do you support or promote any teachings, practices, or doctrine contrary to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

8. Do you strive to keep the Sabbath day holy, both at home and at church; attend your meetings; prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament; and live your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

9. Do you strive to be honest in all that you do?

10. Are you a full-tithe payer?

    For new members seeking a limited-use recommend: Are you willing to obey the commandment to pay tithing?

11. Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?

12. Do you have any financial or other obligations to a former spouse or to children?

    If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations?

13. Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple, including wearing the temple garment as instructed in the endowment?

14. Are there serious sins in your life that need to be resolved with priesthood authorities as part of your repentance?

15. Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord’s house and participate in temple ordinances? 

In the press release, President Nelson expanded his thinking in these words:

“The crowning jewel of the Restoration [the process of fully establishing the Church of Jesus Christ on earth] is the holy temple. Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. But with the Lord’s help, nothing is impossible. In some respects, it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example and to be a holier person.”

We no longer need to worry, wonder or speculate about what might happen as we seek out a local leader for a temple recommend. The questions are now a matter of public record and can be accessed by anyone with an interest in knowing what might be expected of them as they prepare for the additional covenants available to them in the holy temple.

For young people today, there are now only three requirements to obtain a full-use recommend - 1) that you have the desire to go to the temple, 2) that you are eighteen years old, and 3) that you have graduated from high school. 

Young men are now eligible for full-time missionary service at eighteen, and young women at nineteen. I salute this generation of Church members who are answering the Prophet's call to serve in record numbers. 

As he stated above, he is seeking to prepare a people who are worthy to enter the temple while simultaneously building the physical temples globally. 

I will teach the youth in our ward the second lesson in the temple preparation course this coming Sunday, where we will discuss temple worthiness. The bishop will be coming into our class to introduce these questions to the youth. I am so excited to help them catch a vision of the magnitude of the temple blessings that await them. 

Do You Believe People Can Change?

Wow, what a great topic this is! When I think of all the people I have met in my life, I have to conclude that every one of them changed from the first time we met. Sometimes they changed for the better, and others changed for the worse. But change is the stuff of which mortality is made, isn’t it?

If we believe change in people is not possible, then why would we deploy tens of thousands of missionaries all around the world to see if we can share the gospel message with them? We have this abiding belief that they will embrace the fulness of the restored gospel, come unto Christ, join His Church here on earth, and then take steps to the temple where they are promised they can receive “all that my Father hath.” 

Imagine just how audacious that might seem to some. “I’m happy just the way I am,” they used to tell me in Northern England all those years ago. Or, “Got me own, luv,” was another frequent response when we posited changing churches. Those, of course, were the ones who could have cared less that I was in their home country on a two-year mission to save the world - their world - from certain destruction if they booted me off their doorstep. I learned how to deal with rejection in very real and precise terms in that experience.

But I also, on occasion, was a witness to those few precious souls who DID embrace the possibility of change. They gave up coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco and hard drugs for starters. They had to change before they could be baptized, and a few blessed souls to whom I carried that possibility actually did change in dramatic ways right before my eyes. As our visits together progressed, I saw visible changes in their homes. They cleaned up before we had lessons. They cleaned their clothes, they bathed and dressed their young children so they were “presentable” to us. One even told me they thought we were angels from the presence of God who had come to their home. And they changed. Asking an Englishman or woman to surrender their tea to us, then never drink it again was like asking some to cut off their arm. It was the acid test of their sincerity, and some just couldn’t do it.

How does this relate to raising our children in today’s environment? Maybe that is a more compelling question for us to consider as parents and children.

We are bound together by celestial bonds and covenants as an eternal family. We love one another, we love being together, and we are sometimes saddened when one of us might weaken or falter in whatever extremity with which we are dealing at the moment. So we reach out to help one another in love. We are inspired by each other as we witness one rising above their challenges and succeeding as they move along life’s path. I know I have drawn strength from each of you as I watch from the sidelines. I thank you, each one of you, as I see you change, grow, and conquer your demons. 

A few months back, after I had upgraded to the new i-Phone 15, I hadn’t realized I would have to download all my apps on my new phone. The Google browser was just spinning, and I couldn’t figure out how to get it unstuck. Grandson Alex was here, I asked him my question, he took my phone, hit a few buttons, and bingo - it somehow “magically” downloaded in seconds. He said something that has stuck with me: “Grandpa, sometimes the best solution when it comes to technology is just to hit the restart button. That solves almost every problem.” I told him whimsically, “That’s why you came home from your mission, so you could help me change my phone.”

Isn’t that the way it is with each of us? Sometimes we get “stuck,” and we can’t seem to find the next step out of our dilemma, whatever it may be. We need a “reset.” How blessed we are to have the gospel to guide us to daily repentance. We reset ourselves, then begin again as we pursue our course in life and get back on the covenant path if we have wandered off it for a time. 

I think about just how extraordinary it is to be part of my family we started calling "the Goates Kids"!! We aren’t perfect, far from it (well, maybe not THAT far, right?) As many of them shared their memories of infant daughter Adrienne’s death thirty-one years ago, I was humbled to read that for many of them that tragic event in our family was the beginning of their testimonies of The Plan of Salvation and the hope of eternal life with their baby sister. They recounted that she has been a ministering spirit among us for all these many years since. I wonder if that reality doesn’t have something to do with who we have become as a family. Her death has cemented us, anchored us, and continues to inspire us to live in such a way that we can be with her again. 

That horrifying discovery that early December 9th, 1992, has sanctified this home in which I now live alone. It is, indeed, holy ground upon which I walk every day. I have changed. I no longer think about death the way I once did. I know it is a logical next step for me someday. I will eventually die, I know that. I have no doubts or fear about it at all. 

I love my dear companion, Patsy. When I watch the YouTube video Steve and Tina Goates put together and I see her so young, so vibrant and so beautiful from the earliest days of our lives together, I realize how much she changed (and changed me) and just how successful she was. 

I have always said that 95% of the stuff she worried about never came to pass, and now I realize that each of us should follow her lead and worry a little more than we do. We just need to adjust our thinking with the powerful thought that whenever we need to we can “reset” with powerful daily repentance to assist us along the way back to our heavenly home.

Just look at how well that worked out for her and how successful she was at chasing away all the bad things that might have happened if she hadn’t worried so much!

I testify we can all change. We must change. We will continue to grow and progress as a family anchored in our faith in the gospel. Change isn’t the least bit scary when we put it all in perspective, is it?

I must include one final thought about the Abrahamic Covenant, as found in Abraham 2:8-12:

"My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee.

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;

"And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

"Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart: Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee."

My children are all the literal seed of our bodies, Patsy’s and mine. They are blessing everyone in their path with the blessings of the gospel, and they are fulfilling the promise given to Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed with “the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.” 

President Russell M. Nelson reminded us all at the recently concluded General Conference of the importance of cherishing the blessings of the priesthood keys and the gospel of Abraham. 

Keep up the good work, all of you out there in the blogosphere! You are the agents of change in your world. 

A Few Things My Mom Taught Me. . .

On this Mothers Day, 2024, I hope you will indulge me, all you faithful followers of this page, in a moment of personal privilege as I celebrate the life of my favorite mother in my life, Patsy. That's her infant daughter Melanie pictured with her at the left. What follows is a sweet tribute from that little girl, now a mother of five of her own. I felt like it captured Patsy's essence perfectly.

God and Family Matter Most

Mom's life was not complicated. That sounds crazy, since she raised 13 unique humans in a complicated and busy world, but her formula was simple -- love God and care for your family, everything else is details. 

Serve Others

She valued the two great commandments and lived them out in all that she did. Taking meals to those in need, helping with a funeral or wedding, dropping off cookies for birthdays, sending treats in the mail for holidays. She understood that the small things were big things.

Be Consistent

I am floored by the consistency with which my Mom served us, perpetuated traditions, and showed love. She never missed special occasions and her traditions were as sure as a ticking clock. For decades we marched to the drumbeat of butterscotch pull-aparts on Christmas morning, Valentines doorbell ditched in Feb., shamrock-shaped green sandwiches for St. Patrick's Day, a turkey dinner during General Conference, Jesus wall for Easter, baskets of caramel corn during summer game nights, handmade Halloween costumes, Runts in mini cornucopias for Thanksgiving. She never skipped weekly Sunday dinners on fine china or hot breakfasts each morning followed by family prayer. The woman was a master of consistency.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

She didn't have a sophisticated system for organizing, but Mom was never without a list she was working on, scrawled shakily onto a scrap of paper and sitting on the kitchen counter awaiting checkmarks. She often gave up sleep or comfort to do it, but long before 2-day Amazon deliveries and without the convenience of popping into the neighborhood grocery store, this woman planned ahead to make sure she could accomplish all she wanted to and get everyone where they needed to be. She had foresight, vision, and the grit to get things done.

Be Grateful

Whether it was her lengthy prayers filled with expressions of gratitude, or a note to someone who had done something seemingly insignificant, she expressed gratitude sincerely and often. No good deed went un-thanked. 

Love and Forgive

Whether it was her kids' routine lack of consideration or a deep hurt like divorce or family feud, Mom didn't get caught up in the details, she simply sought to love and forgive. She healed hearts and soothed fractured relationships through relentless prayer and tireless love. 

Listen for God's Voice

Mom was humble and even a bit too self-deprecating at times. She knew that without God she was nothing, so she lived her life to be the receptacle of the Spirit and divine guidance. She sought to tune in through prayer and scripture study, words of prophets, and temple worship. She asked, listened, then acted.