A little light Monday morning reading

Sometimes it's a wonder to me that I passed the US Government AP test as a senior in high school (!!). I'm sure I studied hard and I know I worked hard, but honestly, I didn't take nearly enough away from that class. The specifics of what our constitution says, means, and does is sometimes still pretty evasive for me.

For years--all through college--I felt the need to become more politically informed. I had a hard time following issues, researching candidates, weeding through professed stances. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Marrying Jeremy has improved my know-how of politics considerably, but I still could use some work.

Maybe you could too (it's a bit overwhelming sometimes, isn't it?)

Anyhow, I just read a talk given Elder Dallin H. Oaks at Utah's Constitution Day Celebration (last Friday). While, as many of you know, he is a prominent religious leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he is also a previous law professor and Utah Supreme Court Judge. In other words, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the constitution.

I recommend reading it because he spells out in (more or less) plain language some of the basic fundamentals of our constitution. I appreciated the refresher on what our constitution is meant to do and how it is laid out to succeed.

It is applicable information despite party affiliation or opinions. He's pretty neutral here.

At the end he also talks about five things we, as citizens, can and should be doing to uphold the constitution. I always like direct application.

Full text here. Newsroom report here. Enjoy!

I feel like a responsible citizen today

because I voted for the first time in over two years.

(Don't judge, please.)

Yup, that means I missed the last presidential election (because I didn't get my addressed changed and registered in time. Lame, I know, by my work schedule kept getting in the way). I determined it would never happen again.

Anyhow, the last time I voted was in Blanding, and the time before that was before my mission (haha, yeah, I might have missed the last two presidential elections... please continue to not judge.)

Anyhow, today we went and voted for the Primary Senate elections. We're Mike Lee fans at this house (big time). If you live in Utah (or is it the Senate Primaries everywhere?), I suggest you get yourself one of those shnazzy stickers that says "I voted today" and feel good about that fact that your voice is heard.

I sure feel good about wearing that little sticker. It almost makes up for my past voter history.

Go Mike.

Five things that are making me happy

Life is so good, I tell you! It's been a good week (despite the rough weekend). Here are a handful of reasons why...

1. Everyday this week is in the low 80s. That's pretty much perfect in my book. Plus the breeze (not yesterday's wind) has been a nice cooling touch.
2. Today we are going to watch the Argentina v _____ (I don't even know) World Cup game today at my sister-in-law's house. I really like watching soccer. Jeremy really likes Argentina. We both really like Nick and Jeanine (and their cute kiddos). Fun is definitely in the making.
3. My cute Raymond has been all smiles lately. His little face is thinning out and he's just looking older to me... and I love every second of it. I've figured out the trick to keeping his temper tantrums a bay lately too... which makes for a happier home :).
4. Jeremy got to go to a Utah Senator's Election Debate last night (have I mentioned he's a mite interested in politics??) and talk with Mike Lee (his candidate of choice, also the son of Rex E. Lee) for a few minutes after... and he gave Jeremy his phone number with instructions to call him once he started applying to Law Schools (which is right around the corner). Jeremy came home excited and happy. I love seeing him happy.
5. I've actually been (somewhat) productive in the last week. I worked on Christmas presents on one night. I made a tiny new cloth diaper for new baby Christiansen (and have more in the works), and I've read a few handfuls of books.  Ah it feels good to get things done.

I'm one happy girl, I tell you. I just love this stage of life we are in. It has it's ups and downs, but it's such a good place to be.

Providing in the Lord's Way

"Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle.  Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our salvation, in temporal as well as spiritual things."  --Marion G. Romney, Ensign Nov. 1976

So many thoughts, not sure where to start.

We talk a decent amount about politics at our house (shocking on my part, since I used to have a hard time remembering to watch the news, quite predictable on Jeremy's part).  I am grateful for the things I am learning and becoming passionate about. I can finally tell, with surprising clarity, the difference between a democrat and a republican. And I can say with certainty why I am one over the other. It only took me 27 years to figure out.

Anyhow, much of my background on anything (including politics) always goes back to the principles of Welfare that simply put are an essential part of who I am and how I think. I was a Welfare missionary (for the church) and then taught the Welfare sisters for a year at the MTC. The doctrines of self reliance and caring for the poor and needy have tender (and permanent) places in my heart.

It scares me (big time) when I see the world (and specifically the American Government) overriding and flat out rejecting principles that have been revealed through modern prophets to be the Lord's way of taking care of the needs of his children. The Lord, in fact, is very clear about how He would have it done:

    I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.

    And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.

     But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.

    For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.

   Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell being in torment. --D&C 104:14-18 (emphasis added)

Those are some strong words. It is clear that the Lord wants us to have the things we need, to be provided for. He has created this earth, and he has enabled us to be "agents unto [our]sevles." In other words, he wants us to be self reliant. To use the blessings and talents and opportunities the Lord has given to us to take care of ourselves and our families. Spencer W. Kimball has said,

"No true Latter-day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family's well-being to someone else. So long as he can, under the inspiration of the Lord, and with his own labors, he will supply himself and his family with the spiritual and temporal necessities of life."

But becoming self-reliant through hard physical, mental, and spiritual effort is not meant to bless our families alone. The Lord is equally clear that we have what we have in order to share. That the poor shall be exalted.

It is not the government's job to take care of our neighbors, it's our job. As individual agents. It's not our job to judge how or why someone has come to "have not", but to live up to the doctrine taught by the First Presidency in 1936 when the Church's welfare system was established:

"Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of the dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift, and self respect be once more established amongst our people.  The aim of the Church is to help the people help themselves.  Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle in the lives of our Church membership."

That's a very different purpose than what might be heard today in the government sector about the aims of welfare. Giving without helping someone to be reestablish independence isn't really giving at all. It is demeaning and destructive.  Not only to those who have received the dole, but to each of us who may come to think that we are no longer responsible to help our neighbors since it has been forced upon the rich.

What a terrible calamity for the welfare of our nation.

I'll be honest, when I say I'm not sure what to do about it. Politically, I mean. I'm not sure how to reverse the tide of false welfare doctrine. But I know that 1. we need to have a sure knowledge of the "Lord's Way," (for a fantastic place to start, go here) and 2. we need to actively live those principles, and 3. we need to do whatever necessary for our voices to be heard. Even if in the long run it doesn't make a difference. We must defend and uphold the Lord's way of providing for his children. 

I feel like I didn't even scratch the surface here (although if you've made it to the end of this post, I'm sure you feel like I said plenty). 

But, thoughts? What are we going to do about it?

The Husband Blogger

So if you didn't know, my Mr. Christiansen is a thinker.

His college classes are more like doorways to new worlds of ideas. He takes what his professors offer, and dives into the library and internet and becomes passionate. It's not unusual for him to come home and have a stack of new library books under his arm. Books like Freedom to Choose by Milton Fredman or The Tempting of America by Judge Robert H. Bork or The Federalist Papers.

And it's not enough to idly sit by while the world forms around him, he wants to be part of it.

But that doesn't mean he will be persuaded to believe what others want him to. No. He will think and reason it out for himself after surrounding himself with the fellow thinkers, professors, and the wisdom of the greatest minds he can find on library shelves.

So I'm pretty happy to inform you that his voice will now be entering the internet world. He's got a lot on his mind, and he needs a place to let it out. I hope you'll take a moment now and again to listen to what he has to say.

(Be forwarned that it may be controversial.)