Family Councils

"No matter what our particular family situation is, it is critical that we understand the unique circumstances of each family member. Though we may share DNA, there may be situations and circumstances among us that may make us vastly different from each other and which may require the compassionate collaboration of the family council".  Elder M. Russell Ballard. 

A council is a meeting that's inspired by the Lord;

it should not be a waste of time that might make people bored.

Each member of the council has a say in what's discussed;

it should be done in charity so no one will get fussed.

Nobody sits in judgement and nobody gets the blame;

 all our tongues and feelings should be positive and tame.

Nobody plays at Solomon, to hew a child in twain;

no Lamans should attempt to rule alone (and quite in vain).

When councils are done properly, the fam'ly will be blessed;

they are a holy safeguard to keep us from getting stressed. 

And even though I'm all alone, I can council one-on-one;

and give myself advice that is uplifting and homespun! 

The Cause of the Christians

Alma 46:16 --  And therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the freedom of the land might be favored.

Favor us, O God of Freedom; keep our standards high,

as we look to Thee for help as in the days gone by.

Frustrate ev'ry demagogue who plans our degradation;

give us courage in the battle to protect our nation.

Help us find the honest man and woman for our leaders;

and shun the mountebank and other grasping bottom feeders.   

Forgive our fascination with the follies of great fools,

and make of us sound workmen who will toil with honest tools.

Our birthright we do cherish, for it is a gift from Thee.

We'll rend our coats, perforce, that we may safeguard liberty. 

I am a child of God

"Our most fundamental doctrine includes the knowledge that we are children of a living God . . . This doctrine is so basic, so oft stated, and so instinctively simple that it can seem to be ordinary, when in reality it is among the most extraordinary knowledge we can obtain."   Donald L. Hallstrom. 

A child of Deity am I; I will inherit soon
all my Father has for me; an inconceivable boon.
What have I done to merit this; is God somehow beguiled?
No! Tis simple Gospel truth that I am but his child!
And not just I myself, but all the people of the earth
were once his precious infants given joyous mortal birth. 
So never hang your head and say you've been cast off, my friend;
for heaven holds a Father who is not at all pretend!  

The Elephant

From the New York Times:

There is no denying that the stakes are high. As of 2013, the elephant population in Africa had plummeted to about 400,000, according to the conservation site elephantdatabase.org, from some 1.3 million in 1979, due to strong demand for ivory, particularly in Asia, where it is a status symbol for the burgeoning middle class.

An elephant never forgets
when made into rings and bracelets.
To tell you the truth,
if killed for a tooth,
I, too, would have many regrets.

Fiona Ma announces she’s running for state treasurer

Oh what a tangled web we spin
when office seeking we begin.
The promises we have to make
are often vague and nearly fake.
The spider does not tempt her fate;
she doesn't run -- she likes to wait.
I wish all politicians ran
right off a pier and into flan. 

Iran’s Government and Revolutionary Guards Battle for Control of Economy

From the Wall Street Journal:

President Hassan Rouhani wants to make way for foreign deals and investment by limiting the business role taken on by the Revolutionary Guards when sanctions isolated Iran.

Lady Macbeth learned it slowly;

the shedding of blood is unholy.

Let those murdering Guards

with their lonely graveyards

for the mullahs play nothing but goalie. 

California poised to end unprecedented water restrictions amid drought

When water is put on a quota,
accounting for ev'ry iota
will rouse up the people
like bats in a steeple --
until they attack like Lakota.

Subprime Car Loans

A car loan that's made as subprime
is nearly the same as a crime.
When you fall behind
you'll find that the grind
will take you for every dime!

Murder, He Wrote.

Homicides on our fair shores
increase like the pollen outdoors.
I think it's because
despite all the fuzz
the youngsters need practice for wars.

Mysteries and Questions

Alma 40:3 --  there are many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself.

The wonder and the mystery, the questions and surmise;
this world is full of marvels that do take me by surprise.
As God said in the whirlwind to his humble servant Job:
"What made the deep foundations and preserves this fragile globe?"
 The merest ray of sunlight or the smallest drop of rain
a universe of speculation really does contain.
And so I relish pondering the mysteries of God;
they make me joyful and alive, and sometimes overawed.