Conference Break

I want to spend some time on the US legal code beyond the Constitution. It's pertinent to previous posts, and important, especially in this particular election year. (No, I'm not studying for the LSAT.)

However, first here on General Conference weekend, I want to confess something. In April I got mad in almost every session. There are two things I specifically still remember. One was the guy who kept emphasizing that Halloween wasn't his favorite holiday, implying we shouldn't like it either without coming right out and saying it. The other was one who mentioned entitlement, assuming that the issue is people receiving aid without working, when if you look into how the system works at all you know that many food aid and housing aid recipients are working and being underpaid, so maybe the real entitlement issue are the job "creators" who will do anything to avoid paying a fair share of taxes or living wages when it would cut into their share.

If you are concerned now that I am apostate or a heathen (or finally have confirmation of what you knew all along), back it up a scooch. I still go to church, pray, read scriptures, fulfill my callings, and all of those things. It does concern me that I am not as enthusiastic for conference as I have been, but I can live with it. I have been thinking about it.

While the one brother did not come right out and say Halloween was evil, it felt like he wanted to. I believe the reason he didn't is because the church celebrates it all the time. As a group we don't believe it's evil. There are other churches that do, and there may have been an increase in that as part of a greater conservative backlash against acceptance of others and liberals (and minorities) holding office. That can affect other people. I think he got the idea from others.

(And I take it personally because I love Halloween, which I have always been very clear about.)

In the same way, it has been very common for conservatives to talk about entitlement as a problem with "other" people, and it sounds good because hard work is a good value, but it pushes a false understanding of how the system currently works, who is receiving aid and what their lives are like, and it reinforces a harsh and not Christ-like attitude. It is reinforced by politicians and pundits and if you didn't look around you could easily believe that the world is full of lazy people looking for handouts and that's the only problem with it. That's not reality, and Christ did not put any caveats on his commandments to help the poor.

When I hear these things in conference, I am not terribly surprised. God uses imperfect people to do His work, which is necessary or I wouldn't be any help, and certainly the members have had a real tendency toward conservatism (and being judgmental).

However, I also see that we have members infected by the world. It's not by the partying, feel-good drugs and sex part of the world. We get scared of that, but it doesn't really have that much appeal for a lot of us. Instead, it's the Pharisaical part of the world and - make no mistake - that is still worldly. And it's even more insidious because it comes with so many trappings of righteousness.

I'm not really saying this as something to keep in mind while watching conference; it's more for the rest of your life. Do you feel love toward others? Can you understand them and their needs? Can you bear to read articles or listen to news that doesn't exactly support your views?

Are the fruits of the Spirit a part of your life? Even on Halloween.