Thanksgiving Thoughts and More

Well, as usual, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Pine at the cabin with family members. Cynthia, Chris and Hannah drove up to spend Thanksgiving afternoon with us, and Melissa, Brad and the family came up Friday for a few hours. We loved spending time with loved ones, thinking about the many ways our family has been blessed and continues to be blessed. We are so thankful for our parents, our siblings, our extended family, and all of our posterity. If we were to be any more blessed, we would not have room to receive it all.

I was talking with Phil Thursday, and he was telling about the life lessons he has learned watching dogs interact with their young. He says that from the moment a baby is born, be it a dog or a human, it is either being trained by the parents or the parents are being trained by the baby. He gave some tasty scraps once to their dog who had given birth just a week before. The puppies tried to get to the mother's food. As they approached, she growled and then snipped at the puppies, biting them enough to feel it, but not enough to hurt. The puppies backed away. When they tried later, all she had to do was growl and they backed off. They learned very early to obey their mother.

My grandpa Hamblin taught me about letting a horse have its own head. He told me that a horse has to learn who is in charge. If the rider is not in charge, the rider will have no control over where the horse and rider go. Sometimes you have to speak the language the horse understands to get him to obey, because nothing is more useless than a disobedient horse.

This got me thinking about parenthood. The scriptures tell us that we are to teach our children to obey their parents, to correct them when they need correcting, to teach them to be subject to their parents (Prov 13:24, 23:13). This is a commandment. I have often wondered why children have to learn to obey. Why not just let a child determine what happens in the home? The little one doesn't want to go to bed, so he doesn't have to until he feels like it. He doesn't want to eat what Mom has fixed, so she fixes something he likes. He wants a story, then another, then another, when the parents need to get other things done. There is one basic thing wrong with raising a child this way.

That thing is the godly quality of obedience. How will a child raised that way ever learn to submit his will to God, when he has never had to submit his will to anyone before? This is the way to raise a bunch of "natural men;" enemies to God. Children who always get their way as children not only grow up spoiled, but it will be much harder for them to grasp the concept of obeying God's commandments later, because they have grown up thinking that their way is the right way. Does that make sense?

Deuteronomy 8:2 says, "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments, or no." In other words, the people were being tested, and it took 40 years for the Israelites, as a group, to show the Lord that they would be obedient. There must have been a lot of people used to having their own way in that group.

Mosiah 3:17 says that unless we become as little children, submissive, humble, meek, patient, and willing to submit to all things even as a child submits to his father, we cannot be sanctified. It sounds to me like parents must set the rules and enforce the rules, or else how can a child learn to submit to his father, and later to his Heavenly Father?

Too many times, I see young families who just let their children do whatever they want, with no reprimands or consequences, in the name of gentleness. Again, I am not suggesting that parents need to be mean or harsh, but they need to teach their children that the parents make the rules and the children obey. I believe that this is truly in the best interest of the children. Parents must be gentle but firm. It is time to go. It is time for bed. This is what we are eating tonight. No, you may not do that. This is not meanness; it is kindness. It is helping them turn into the kind of people Heavenly Father wants and needs.

Just as we sometimes have to say, "Lord, I don't know why I have to go through this trial, but I know you do, and I trust you," our children need to learn that theirs is not the will that governs the universe.

So much for the ramblings of an ancient parent. Think about it.

How did this happen?

We had a very interesting experience last Friday night at Will and Melanie's wedding. The DJ called for all married couples to come forward to the dance floor for a dance off. Naturally, we joined the rest of the couples, and started dancing with the rest of them. The DJ then asked for any couples who had been married less than 5 hours to move to the side, so Melanie and Will moved off. Then he called for those married less than 5 years to move to the side, which they did. He called for those married less than 10 years, and they left; less than 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, and more and more people moved to the side. At this point, there were only two couples left on the dance floor - Jan and me, and MY PARENTS! Whoa! Was that ever a strange sensation! When he called for 50 years or less, we left Mom and Dad alone on the dance floor, which had been the purpose of the game all along. The DJ read the story of how they met, and how they had just celebrated their 59th anniversary. It was really a sweet moment in a very enjoyable evening. But being the second oldest people at the party was strange!

It reminded me of when I was teaching Psychology at Glendale Community College. We were talking about how some events have so much emotion tied up in them that you never forget where you were and what you were doing. For instance, I remember where I was when I heard about the revelation that gave all worthy men in the church the Priesthood. Anyway, I asked the class, "How many of you remember where you were when you heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated?" No one raised his hand, so I asked again. No response. Finally, a young girl in the back of the class said, "Mr. Brooksby, we weren't born yet." That day I realized which side of the hill I was standing on. That was more than 20 years ago, and I am still standing on that hill, on the downhill side.

The End of America?

Lately I have lain awake at night many times, wondering if America would survive this election cycle. I have spent altogether too much time worrying about the America my children and grandchildren would have to live in. I have expressed these concerns openly. As I have seen Americans embrace socialist principles over the last couple of decades, I have been saddened, because socialism is the antithesis of the gospel of Christ. While Socialists preach of compassion and taking care of the poor, they embrace the element of force and compulsion to use other people's money to achieve their lofty goals. Imagine this: Jan and I gave more money to charity last year than Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined! Just think of the difference between 1) skipping meals voluntarily and giving the money to feed the poor and 2) having so much taken from you by force to feed the poor that you can hardly feed yourself. The first scenario is the result of love and leads to greater self control and spiritual growth, while the second has nothing to do with love and does not foster personal growth.

A half-century ago, in a classic exchange between two men on opposite ends of the moral and political spectrum, Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev bragged to Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson (an Apostle at the time), "Your grandchildren will live under communism!" To which Elder Benson enthusiastically replied: "If I have it my way, your grandchildren will live free!" Khrushchev fired back, "Oh you Americans! You're so gullible! We'll spoon feed you socialism until you're Communists and don't even know it. We'll never have to fire a shot!" Ironically, history has to some degree vindicated both men.

There is no question we are living in the Last Days. All the signs of the times are becoming obvious. We are in for some turbulent days ahead. So many times when we read the scriptures about our days, we are frightened by the words of terror and destruction and we miss the little words hidden within that should console us. The Lord does not want His people fearful – He wants us faithful. Look at the following from 2 Nephi chapter 1:

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.
9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.
10 But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord… behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.
11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.

And what about these words from Moses chapter 7:

60 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;
61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;
62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

That sounds to me like the only real safety in the days ahead lies in personal righteousness and obedience to the Lord’s commandments.

Fear and faith cannot exist in the same person at the same time, so we must choose whether we want to be filled with fear or faith. I was impressed with the words of Hugh Nibley when I read the account of his experiences in the D-Day invasion of France. He was among the first ashore in that invasion, but he was not afraid. He viewed his entire war experience with this belief: it does not matter what becomes of me; it only matters what I become. As we watch the unfolding of events that we have known for years would unfold, we must not be afraid. They are signs to us that the Great Event that we profess to look forward to is just around the corner. Let us have faith in God, come what may. I am going to cease worrying about America, even if I can’t stop caring.

Let's all hold on to each other until this roller coaster ride comes to an end.