Do You Know the Power of Natural Rights?

Today I recorded my reading of Sophocles’s Antigone into my iPhone’s voice memo app so that I could have a working audiobook for my humanities students. It is one of my favorite Greek tragedies as it not only deals with the inseparable pair of Justice and Mercy, but it concerns our most dear possessions, natural rights. As Antigone is defending her choice to bury her brother Polynices against the corrupt law that forbade it, or rather, her tyrannical uncle, Creon’s law, I was reminded of the presentation I made to a group of amazing women in the Historic Provo Library recently. In preparing and paying the price to learn about rights, duties, the proper role of government, and Entitlements, I am astonished at how these ideas and principles have informed my thinking. I can find them now in my reading, in listening to the news, in raising my children, and in observing people and circumstances all around me. 

That day in my presentation, I defined and explained the four terms for the moms, and then we practiced together how to recognize rights and duties in the family rules. We then moved on to some social issues plaguing our system and looked at whether they pertained to rights, duties, or were they entitlements and what was the proper role of government in the issue. It was a satisfying experience for me as a bunch of moms discovered how to look at family and social issues considering the true principles of proper government.

Come with me as I briefly define these terms and explain them. I defined rights as God-given things “which justly belong to one.” Samuel Adams and James Madison said that the four basic rights are life, liberty, property, and conscience. Just to clarify each one, the right to life means that each individual has the right to stay alive. The right to liberty means that no individual will be in bondage to another. The right to property is that each has the right to their things, purchases, and things they’ve made or received.  Finally, each individual has the right to believe, live, and talk according to their conscience. So that which justly belongs to you and me is our right. No one can take them from us. We had them at birth and we will always inherently have these God-given rights, no matter what. People may try to take them from us, but we’ll still have a right to them.

These four basic rights make up the framework of our society. Ayn Rand said, “Individual rights are moral principles identifying the social conditions required by man’s nature for his proper survival.” She is saying that these rights lay down the foundation of our social condition and all laws are and should protect these rights. Look at little children and how they inherently know what is theirs. Observe two toddlers playing with toys and one takes the toy from the other and contention arises. The other defends his “property” and pleads his case to his mother, or he might breach the right of the one by hitting and kicking him. Mom steps in and gently teaches the right to life and the right to property. It is a natural tendency to protect rights whether you are two years old or 92.

Long ago there was a big debate at the founding of our nation about whether we should put our God-given rights into the constitution. You can read more about this debate in the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist Papers. The Anti-Feds wanted the rights set forth so the government would know what rights to protect. The Feds debated against them, saying that people might think it limited us to only those rights. There was a lot of back and forth in the compromise, and they all finally settled on a Bill of Rights listing 10 of them. Everyone agreed that these 10 were natural rights no matter what. The last one stated that all other rights not listed in the Constitution belonged to the states or the people.

You will notice when you look at the Bill of Rights each one of them falls under one or more of the basic rights. For instance, the right to worship falls under the right of conscience. We can believe how we desire to believe as long as we do not breach the right of any other person. You might see that this same right could fall under the right to liberty, meaning that you have a right not to be in bondage to another because of your beliefs. To summarize, the Bill of Rights became an extension or delineation of the four basic rights that each of us inherently has.

Now, let’s move on and define Duties. Duties are that which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound by a natural obligation to do. Our duties are in two parts: first, we are to help other people when needed to defend their rights, when we can (physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.) Second, we have a duty to not breach other people’s rights. The 1828 dictionary says we are to forbear “that which is forbidden by morality or justice.” Thomas Jefferson said of duties, “God has formed us moral agents... that we may promote the happiness of those with whom He has placed us in society, by acting honestly towards all, benevolently to those who fall within our way, respecting sacredly their rights, bodily and mental, and cherishing especially their freedom of conscience, as we value our own.” And Richard Maybury said, “Do all that you have agreed to do, and do not encroach on other people’s persons or their property.” By virtue of being a human, I have these four basic rights and my duty is to recognize that all other people do too; I am to defend rights and not breach the rights of others. Rights require duty, they are inseparable. Rights are basically a check on another person, they tell you what you can and cannot do to another. 

Now, when people want to be protected they form a society and grant power to the government to protect those rights. The Proper Role of Government is that it protects the rights of the people. The people who have created the government can only give power to the government from the powers they have themselves. What power do we give the government? Well, I have my rights and duties, and my duties are to protect rights. That power of protecting rights is the power I give to the government. 

Ezra Benson, a former US secretary of Agriculture says in his book, The Proper Role of Government, and I will paraphrase, said:

“The early pioneers found that much of their time and energy was being spent… defending themselves, their property and their liberty in what was called, ‘the lawless west.’ In order for people to prosper, they cannot spend all their time constantly guarding the family, the fields, and property against attack and theft. 

“So, they join together with their neighbors and hire a sheriff. And right then, Government is born. Each individual citizen delegates to the sheriff their unquestionable right to protect themselves. The key is: The sheriff now does for them only what they had a right to do for themselves—nothing more. 

“Now we come to the moment of truth. Suppose pioneer Bob wants another horse for his wagon, He doesn’t have the money to buy one, but since pioneer Dave has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor’s good fortune, Is he entitled to take his neighbor’s horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer Dave wishes to keep his property, pioneer Bob has no just claim to it.

“So, If Bob has no proper power to take Dave’s property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that Dave give his extra horse to Bob, they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have.”

We need to remember that the government’s purpose is to protect rights, and that government is a force. Frederic Bastiat says that Law is a force. Why is he saying that? Because he is saying that anytime we make a law we have to put force behind it. That is what Law is. Why make a law if we will not enforce it? Whether it’s “drive the speed limit on the roads” or “what kind of marriage you can have,” they are all laws that humans make and they are enforced.

Now, it is wise to differentiate between governmental force and natural force. Governmental force is that each law has legal force behind it. Legally, you are held accountable to obey the laws or you receive the consequence. Natural force, on the other hand, is the consent of the governed. For example, laws around killing and taking property have my and your consent. When laws are outside the framework of Natural Rights, they don’t have a natural force anymore. We don’t feel compelled to obey them. When a law follows natural rights, the governed feel the law inherently in their hearts and they know it follows natural rights and it is obvious they want to obey it.

Another thing we need to consider while we think about the proper role of government is to differentiate between governmental principles and spiritual principles. We need to distinguish between what God is asking us to do and what the proper role of government is and what the government really has the power to do. For example, consider whether being loved is a right. If it were a right, then the government would have to pass laws around it and force people to love each other. If my husband did not love me and I had a right to be loved, he would be forced, by law to love me. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Of course, being loved is not a right. However, it is a need, and it is something that God is asking us to do. Therefore, we separate our needs and our godly mandates, and we do not give power to the government to enforce those godly mandates.

Now that we have defined and explained rights, duties, and the proper role of government, let’s talk about the counterfeit of rights, which are entitlements.

Entitlements are the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment; unearned privileges that they don’t have a natural right to. A very easy example comes from our American history. Some Founders owned slaves and yet they knew slavery was against natural law and natural rights. The government they had formed was legally stating that slavery was okay. The whole business of it was complex because slavery was heavily intertwined into that society. Many were okay with it and thought they needed it. Many weren’t. Jefferson consistently spoke out against the international slave trade, and he outlawed it during his presidency. Step by step, it was eradicated and as you know the Emancipation Proclamation finally made slavery illegal. From then on, the progression continued to be a messy process until we got to where we are today. And we still have repercussions because of that horrible breaching of the four basic rights in our history. You can see from this example that the law gave privileges to men they had no natural right to. They forced the slaves to give up their natural rights to become property to their masters.

Government Entitlements are any laws or programs that violate one’s God-given rights in giving unearned privileges to another who has no right to it. Sometimes we and the government get confused and instead of the government protecting rights, it declares that people can take the property, take a life, or take away liberty, or legally force people to pay into a storehouse for redistributing. The tricky part is that entitlements surround us now. We even benefit from them and do not realize we are harming another’s rights.

In the same way that abolishing slavery was complex, entitlements in our day are equally complex. Our welfare system is huge and complicated and has created a lot of dependence. Since its nature is to redistribute wealth, it is an entitlement. It gives special privileges to others who do not have a right to them. We will not sort this out in this article, but what we have discussed today has given you the tools to discern rights, duties, and entitlements and to know what the proper role of government is.

Back to my study of Sophocles’ Antigone: she was devoted to Zeus. She had a right to conscience and believed in the laws of Zeus and not the tyrannical laws. The Ancient Greeks knew that each person ought to have a proper burial, but when Creon prohibited it, Antigone had a choice before her. Would she obey the tyrant or would she obey Zeus, who does not “ordain such laws for men”? Antigone confronted her contemptuous uncle accusing him of overriding the gods. Her courage and braveness to defend her rights was of no use; her right of conscience was breeched. Creon banished her from the kingdom to die an ignominious death. 

Oh, it gets me each time I read that play. I want to defend her rights; I want to stand up and make a case for her God-given right to conscience. But I can do better than that—we are not fictitious characters living in a fictitious world. We can learn these tools and observe how they are working in our lives. We can stand up and defend the rights of others, we can restore the proper role of government to the government and we can think of better ways to help our fellow man than resorting to entitlements. 

Do you realize the power you hold within you to understand and defend natural rights? The Founders understood and under the influence of the Great Creator, they established the most perfect union ever created on this earth, and all of it around the natural rights and natural laws of God. Discover them, apply them in your homes and in your communities, fight for them and watch the power that is in you to change the world for good!

Spheres of Influence, Connection, Purpose, and Truth

A number of years ago, an acquaintance of mine was heavily involved in political discussions on social media. Her entire life, it seemed, was filled with complaints about the other party, thoughts about the doom and gloom, and how corrupt the leadership was. She was the mother of several children and I observed that her children came second to her addiction on facebook. I often wondered how her ranting would influence those in political power. She and I discussed what she could do to make changes and her response was that she really could not influence those in the top, no matter what she did or said. Even so, she continued to “live” in what Stephen Covey calls the outer circles of influence. What was happening to those whom she could influence? They often were left to fend for themselves.

Where is the greatest impact a person can have on others? Often it is stated that a person can change the world, but can they really? The only people an individual can impact are themselves, their children, close family members, and friends. Or in other words, they can change only their small corner of the world through choice, influence, connection, and example. Stephen covey wrote, “The place to begin building any relationship is inside ourselves, inside our circle of influence, our own character.” Over those things, we have great power and influence. The power of individual influence increases significantly through connection, purpose, and truth when the individual focus is on the inner circle of influence.

A lack of true social connection affects everyone from the young to the very old. Many turn to anything that can satiate the pain whether it is social media, screens, drugs, alcohol, porn, shopping, or binge eating. Widespread loneliness and despair is on the rise. The BBC conducted a poll recently and found out of 55,000 people, 40% of adults between ages 16 and 24 reported feeling lonely often or very often. US suicide rates have increased by 33% between 1999 and 2017. What is causing the loneliness? A strong social connection causes the release of naturally occurring hormones that help us feel good. On the other hand, the lack of it disrupts that balance and lands the individual in a deficit; confused, lonely and unstable, they seek to fill the void with anything other than human connection such as social media, drugs, etc. It is a double-edged sword because the more they turn toward those things, the more they eclipse the true connection of human contact and connection. Those troublesome obstructions cause us to “see through a glass darkly,” and block out the warmth, the comfort, and the necessary relationships that bring hope. Neal A. Maxwell said, “When we draw other things too close, placing them first, we obscure our vision of heaven.” Jennifer Nicolaisen says, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is genuine, meaningful interactions and authentic connections and experiences with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.”

The motive behind an incessant relationship with social media, screens, and all other distractions either closes or opens the door for meaning and purpose. I am not at all against technology for making connections, communicating, or self-educating. Personally, I have been engaged in some of the best discussions within the Great Conversation on Facebook. On the contrary, using technology to distract one from responsibility, or to compare lives, or to seek cheap advice leads some away from purposefulness toward aimlessness. What is your motive and drive to seek screen time? If distraction from life is your course, you may find you have wasted a day, a week, a month having accomplished little to nothing. Or you may feel depressed, anxious, and disengaged. Craig Mod said of social media, “I am firmly in the camp that believes technology is generally bending the world in a positive direction. Yet, for me, Twitter foments neurosis, Facebook sadness, Google News a sense of foreboding. Instagram turns me covetous. All of them make me want to do it—whatever “it” maybe—for the likes, the comments.” As one wakes up to the fact they depend upon the comments and likes to fuel or fizzle their emotional and mental energy, they realize they have been stuck in the drama triangle of victimhood, blame, comparison, and distraction. Mod continues, “I can’t help but feel that I am the worst version of myself, being performative on a very short, very depressing timeline. A timeline of seconds.” The way out is to check your motive for screen time; balance the best things with a little of the good things and do away with the bad things. Individuals who focus on the inner circle of influence and who want to impact their lives and those around them find meaning and purpose to guide them; they seek to tell themselves the truth.

The draw on society to engage in moral relativism or the “your truth, my truth” syndrome is prevalent. Debates on social media of what is true or not true, what is right or wrong has turned into a surplus of rancid non-judgment and decaying acceptance to the destruction of Truth. The good news is eventually, in the end, on any given issue, all things will be bound by truth. Natural law or the law of human nature has always existed and governed man. Thomas Reid said, “First-principles [or the laws of human nature] have been written by the finger of God on the very hearts of men.” J. Budziszewski confirms there is “a law written in the heart of every human being” and this could very well be described as the Light of Christ. The essence of the moral being is inseparably connected to truth. It is only when an individual suppresses or ignores their conscience that they lose sight of the truth. Suppressing conscience is like Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner who kills the albatross, killing truth and not being set free. Thus, being enslaved. On the other hand, telling oneself the truth, living in truth, and acting on truth results in a powerful influence on self and all those in their circle of influence.

Back to my friend; after years of fulminating on Facebook, she woke up to her fruitless situation and turned toward self-education. She not only has improved her life through the empowering principles but has opened her eyes and her arms to see and love her children. She has found much satisfaction turning toward her circle of influence, is making meaningful connections, and living life with purpose and truth.

The Mission Driven Mom

For many years I have believed in the idea of Life Mission. I have had many experiences where I felt called by God to learn or do specific things in order to help others. Those have been some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I recently ran across a book I wanted to tell you about. It’s written by a friend of mine who has studied life mission for the past several years. In her research, she found a pattern of how great men and women find their life mission–a pattern we can learn and follow to aid us in discovering and fulfilling our own personal life missions.

She teaches this pattern through the lives of the ten Boom family–an incredible family that saved over 800 lives during WWII. She shares dozens of stories to clarify and outline the 7 Laws of Life Mission that this family and many other mission-driven individuals have lived.

Her book is FREE right now on her website The Mission Driven Mom and I highly encourage you to get your own copy, read or listen to it and begin discovering and fulfilling your own God-given mission!” Once you click on the link in this paragraph, you will need to scroll down to find the link for the free book. You can also access the audio recording of the book, which is how I “read” it while taking my daily walks.

You may want to look around her site and read some of her blogs before downloading the book. Or you may want to sign up for her MDM Facebook group to hear more about what is going on and to connect with other moms who are discovering and fulfilling their mission. If you know that you want to pursue your mission right away, you will want to join her academy and get mentoring each month for a reasonable fee.

I highly encourage you to see what this is all about and get involved. Not only will you feel the exhilaration from pursuing your own mission, but your children will watch you and learn from your example.

Video Intro to the Lost Tools of Writing

I am excited to learn and work together with you on the Lost Tools of Writing. After teaching the class last year, I have a much better idea of how to use this class to help us learn the tools necessary to write well.

I have just created a 22-minute video to introduce the writing class. Those who have already taken the class should still watch it to help you understand a little better the focus of the class and to help clarify what you will be doing. Please watch at your leisure and then feel free to leave some comments or questions below the video. You may also email me with any questions you might have.

https://www.useloom.com/share/20424f6018a447f097e83c06b6369523

Digital Works vs. the Hard Copy Books

In the past, some of my students have opted for the Kindle-type digital books instead of ordering and studying the actual paper books. At first, I thought it was a viable option, but as I have progressed in my teaching preferences in the last few years, I have evolved to consider only using the hard copies of the books themselves. My reasoning extends to three points:

A serious student will learn to annotate in their books, argue with the author, underline the thesis, the problems, the solutions, and in the margin will write their interesting personal epiphanies from their studies.

A serious student will begin to fill a bookshelf and eventually their little library of the great ideas that have changed their world. Each book will represent to them a turning point of thought, comprehension, and contemplation.

A serious student will return to their books as they add experience and learning and will compare their past annotations to the current thoughts and understanding, thus showing to the student their deep growth and progress.

I am sure Kindle-type digital books have their place. Already I can think of a few reasons why one might want to read digitally. They are handy, searchable, and annotate-able. not to mention, a hundred books or more only weigh the weight of the Kindle Reader. Those are arguably excellent reasons to prefer the Kindle. However, a recent study shows that despite the availability, facility, and lightweight-ness of a Kindle, students comprehend far more from reading and studying a real tangible book.

Still, it is up to you, dear reader, to choose for yourself. The following books are awaiting your decision, whether you wish to purchase digitally or purchase the Real McCoy—The Genuine Article—. May you enjoy your summer!


1776  The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, selections (video)


1798  Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge


1815  Emma, by Jane Austen (a book on education, authority, worship, artificial people)


1818  Frankenstein, Mary Shelley


1838  Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville (Volume II, Chapters 1-26)


1850  That Which is Seen and that Which is Not Seen, Frederic Bastiat


1862  Les Miserables (Abridged), by Victory Hugo (used book link)


1848  The Communist Manifesto and Other Revolutionary Writings (Dover Thrift Editions)


1947  Diary of a Young Girl, by Ann Frank


1874-1965  Churchill, by Paul Johnson


1865  Annotated Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll


1910  What’s wrong with the World, by G.K. Chesterton


1922  The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot


1941  The Weight of Glory, essays by C.S. Lewis, The Inner Ring, Weight of Glory


1953  The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis


1954  Lord of the Flies, William Golding


1970’s Essays, A World Split Apart and A Reflection on the Vendee Uprising, and by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn


2005  Queen of Katwe, Tim Crothers

How to Know, Understand, and Act in Basic Gospel Doctrines

We celebrated a dear Uncle’s life yesterday as he has passed from his mortal life. I was asked to deliver the doctrinal speech.

It is my pleasure to honor John Louis Marsh today. Some of you know that as a young single adult, just out of high school, I went to live with his family to care for and help Aunt Ann as she was struggling with MS and carrying her first child after over twelve years of marriage. I cherish the time I spent with John and his family. Though, I am not sure the children appreciated me pushing them to eat their vegetables. John was very good to me. He offered me a job working at Spotlight video where cousins Donna, Mark and Linda, Aunt Janet, and Grandpa Rex worked. I have some wonderful memories there.

Although abrupt and frank, Uncle John loved me in his own way. He was generous, kind, and thoughtful, but you always had to look beyond his roughness. I knew he loved me.

Uncle John loved the Gospel. His testimony of the Savior and the Plan of Salvation was a pillar in his life. I remember many talks with him and Aunt Ann on the couch after the children had gone to bed. He was concerned that I knew what was good, true, and right.

As I have been pondering on my memories with Uncle John, I have felt strongly to talk about how each of us can know for sure what is good, true and right; each of these stands upon the pillars of the basic Gospel Doctrines.

We obtain power when we not only understand doctrine but when we act in it. “The doctrine of Christ is so pure, so obtainable, and so necessary to us becoming who He needs us to be. Further, we live in a world that claims a Christ that is permissible and accepting of all behaviors. While Christ’s love is ‘perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal’[i] his laws and standards cannot be violated if we”[ii] really want to know and act in what is good, true, and right.

Ultimately, we know that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”[iii] “I the Lord am bound when you do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”[iv] Additionally, the Lord has said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”[v]

As we make efforts to understand His doctrines, we are empowered against the false ideologies of Christ. Understanding His doctrines will refine and perfect us in this life and the life to come.

It is not given to us to be commanded in all things, we should not rely on the Church to teach us all we should know, but it is our responsibility to obtain knowledge for ourselves, understand how to use that knowledge, and develop our spiritual strength and stamina to stand firm and strong. Rather than tell you the golden answer as many have already expounded to you in the past, I wish to teach the method by which one can find out on their own. First, we need to differentiate between Doctrines, Principles, and Application. Elder David A. Bednar has laid out a methodology using Doctrines, Principles, and Application to help us seek for and understand for ourselves God’s doctrine.

Doctrines are unchanging eternal truths. They are those essential things that point us in the direction of Jesus Christ. Doctrines are very few in number—only about nine. Some of them are the Godhead, the Plan of Salvation, Prophets and Revelation, Ordinances and Covenants, the Family, and the Commandments. Doctrines answer the question WHY.

Gospel principles, different than doctrines, are also unchanging, are guidelines “for the righteous exercise of moral agency. Principles are subsets or components of broader gospel truths . . . Correct principles always are based upon and arise from doctrines.”[vi] They advise us HOW to use the doctrine. Principles answer the question WHAT. Here is an example: “The Word of Wisdom is a principle with a promise which helps us to honor our bodies. The doctrine of the body is central to the Plan of Salvation. We utilize our agency to live the principle so that we can be healthy and free from bad habits and addiction. Honoring our body helps us to feel and experience the doctrine of the Holy Ghost more profoundly in our lives. The Spirit helps us to prepare to live with God again.”[vii] Just in that principle alone, I enumerated 7 additional principles!

Now, applications vary as widely as the men and women in this chapel. Each seeks guidance from the Holy Spirit to know HOW to use the Principles in order to act in Doctrine.

Now that we have discussed the different roles of Doctrines, Principles, and Application, let us consider how to increase our learning in these Doctrines, Principles, and Applications.

Again, in a methodological process, we increase our learning through three steps: Knowledge, Understanding, and Intelligence. In a nutshell, we assign knowledge to the head, understanding to the heart, and intelligence to a personal righteous application. Elder Bednar teaches that not all knowledge is equal. He says, “A hierarchy of importance exists among the things you and I can learn. Indeed, all information and knowledge are not equally important. The Apostle Paul taught this truth in his second epistle to Timothy as he warned that in the latter-days many people would be ‘ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7)

Knowledge pertains to facts, information, and abilities obtained through experience and education. Knowledge gained is stored in our heads, our brains. As we gather knowledge, we increase the ability to reason, reflect, and examine. Our Heavenly Father instructed us to gain knowledge, “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” (D&C 131:6)

Therefore, in the acquisition of knowledge, it is essential that we take that knowledge from our heads and drive it down to our hearts, where we understand. In Proverbs, it says, “And with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7) In the scriptures, understanding is repeatedly compared to the heart. Two examples are: in Proverbs 2:2 “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding” and in Mosiah 12:27, “Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise.”

Clearly, we must use our minds to gain knowledge and we don’t usually apply our minds, but our hearts when seeking to understand. It is in the heart where we feel. It is in the heart that “we begin to understand the knowledge and experience a mighty change of heart as testimony and conviction move from our heads to our hearts.”[viii]

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Now, once we have gained knowledge and driven it deep into our hearts for understanding, we are ready to apply what we know according to our understanding. “Intelligence is the righteous application of knowledge and understanding in action and judgment.”[ix]

The following scriptures give us a picture of how intelligence or acting rightly comes directly from a sound understanding of the heart. “But a man of understanding walketh uprightly” (Proverbs 15:21). “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (Psalm 119:34). “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:104). “[The sons of Mosiah] had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2-3).

Intelligence is always linked to righteousness. In D&C 130:18-19, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” Note in that scripture, knowledge comes before intelligence and each is linked to the respective following principle: knowledge requires diligence and intelligence is linked to obedience. Additionally, in the 88th section, verse 118 we learn that to increase our knowledge and intelligence we must “seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” Again, we link knowledge with study and intelligence with faith.

British novelist and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, understood the process of increasing our learning through knowledge, understanding, and application using different words, but similar meanings. In his book, Abolition of Man, C. S Lewis taught three leading principles which give men their identity as human beings. Intellect is the head, he says, the heart is the chest and the belly is the instinct. He says using only our head and belly we become and are animals, however, when we add in the chest, the head begins to govern the belly through the chest.

Lewis believed that “…the traditional moralities of East and West, the Christian, the Pagan, and the Jew…” share similar beliefs between what is good and bad, right and wrong, and true and false. He calls this belief the Tao, which, in the Taoist, means the ultimate ‘way’ or truth in reality and human conduct. Any other path than the Tao, he says, would be creating men without chests or men without a heart, who are not really men at all; men who are unable to discern the truth from the false; men unable to recognize what they ought to do from the things they perceive.[x]

The Lord warned that in the latter days, “All things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people” D&C 88:91. In our day, and as Lewis projected in his Abolition of Man, there will abound men without chests. Mankind will increase in knowledge, but not in understanding, unless they return to the Doctrines and Principles of the Gospel through careful study and faith in Jesus Christ.

The prophets and apostles, the true Watchmen on the tower, have seen our day and clearly teach us to be ever vigilant, ever seeking the truth, and acting on the truth. In recent years, President Eyring warned, “The spiritual strength sufficient for our youth to stand firm just a few years ago will soon not be enough. Many of them are remarkable in their spiritual maturity and in their faith. But even the best of them are sorely tested. And the testing will become more severe.”[xi]

Our Spiritual learning enhances Secular learning. Elder Eyring taught, “If we will keep spiritual learning in its proper place, we will have to make some hard choices of how we use our time. But there should never be a conscious choice to let the spiritual become secondary as a pattern in our lives. Never. That will lead to tragedy. The tragedy may not be obvious at first, nor may it ever be clear in mortal life. But remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly with spiritual sight, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.”[xii]

Elder Eyring continues, and keep in mind the pattern of taking the knowledge deeply into our heart to make a lasting change and then acting on the knowledge and understanding. He says, “The purpose of God’s creations and of His giving us life is to allow us to have the learning experience necessary for us to come back to Him, to live with Him in eternal life. That is only possible if we have our natures changed through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, true repentance, and making and keeping the covenants He offers all of His Father’s children through His Church.”[xiii]

Let us return to Doctrine, which you know is a pillar of eternal truth upon which rests all the Plan of Salvation.

Let us focus on the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and particularly his Second Coming and our preparation to meet him. Jesus Christ is the “firstborn of the Father in the spirit and is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New Testament. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and made a perfect Atonement for the sins of all mankind. His life is the perfect example of how all mankind should live. He was the first person on this earth to be resurrected. He will come again in power and glory and will reign on the earth during the Millennium.”[xiv]

Our principal goal here, right now, at this moment, is to become like him. We can do that if we know Him, understand Him, and act in His name. Although we may not know when he is coming, He has admonished us to prepare now. “Our decisions determine our destiny,” said President Monson.

Dallin H. Oaks said, “While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.[xv] He goes further to warn us “The good, the true, and the beautiful are being replaced by the no-good, the “whatever,” and the valueless fodder of personal whim.[xvi] It is time to increase our learning, understand doctrine and use the principles to act in righteousness.

In a recent email to all the youth of the Church, President Nelson told them:
I am deeply impressed by your goodness and potential. As we prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior, I want you to know that you have a personal role to play!

To help you gain a vision of who you truly are and understand your role in the latter days, my wife, Wendy, and I will share a special message with you on Sunday, June 3.

We have a role to play in preparing for the Savior to come again.

“My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory . . . of Zion” (D&C 136:31) Nephi said, “Blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day” (1 Nephi 13:37). Christ reveals through Joseph Smith in the 105th section, “And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself . . . and inasmuch as they follow the counsel which they receive, they shall have power after many days to accomplish all things pertaining to Zion” (D&C 105:37).

It is wise to fill our lamps with oil, wise to repent, wise to Know Jesus Christ through personal study of the scriptures, through ordinances performed for the living and the dead; through a deep study of secular and spiritual knowledge with the sole purpose of becoming like Jesus Christ. Filling our lamps with oil like this will precipitate the loving call, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21)

Enoch learned that the last days would be much like his own day in two respects: first, “the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth” (Moses 7:61); and second, there would be “great tribulations among the wicked” (Moses 7:66). In addition, Enoch “saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men’s hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked” (Moses 7:66).

Our task is to become like Enoch’s people who “were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). And there shall God make his abode forever (see Moses 7:21).

It is my prayer that we may look deeply at our lives, the choices we are making, the education we are seeking and make necessary changes that will literally bring us to Christ as we prepare for his Second Coming. May we increase in our learning by knowing, understanding and acting in the Doctrines and Principles of the Gospel.


[i] Russell M. Nelson, Divine Love, Ensign, February 2003

[ii] Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt, As I have Loved You, Love One Another, BYU women’s conference, May 2018.

[iii] D&C 130:21

[iv] D&C 82:10

[v] John 14:15

[vi] David A. Bednar, Increase in Learning, Deseret Book 2011, pg. 154

[vii] Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt, As I have Loved You, Love One Another, BYU women’s conference, May 2018.

[viii] David A. Bednar, Increase in Learning, Deseret Book 2011, pg. 67

[ix] David A. Bednar, Increase in Learning, Deseret Book 2011, pg. 70

[x] C.S. Lewis, Abolition of Man, Men without Chests,

[xi] President Henry B. Eyring was a member of the First Presidency when this article was published. Address at the Church Educational System Scripture Conference at Brigham Young University on August 14, 2001, published in Religious Educator 2, no. 2 (2001): 1–11.

[xii] Henry B. Eyring, Education for Real Life, General Conference October 2002

[xiii] Henry B. Eyring, Education for Real Life, General Conference October 2002

[xiv] Basic Doctrines, https://www.lds.org/manual/basic-doctrines/basic-doctrines?lang=eng

[xv] Dallin H. Oaks, Preparation for the Second Coming, General Conference, April 2004

[xvi] Dallin H. Oaks, Preparation for the Second Coming, General Conference, April 2004

Positive Movement

“We are kept keen on the grindstone of pain and necessity,” wrote H.G. Wells.

Just a few months ago an aching lower back pain woke me up to the awful fact that something was wrong. I made an appointment with the local chiropractor, who took and examined an X-ray of the lower vertebrae. The visual result showed a deteriorating disk which was causing two vertebrae to gradually conform to the collapsing cartilage, causing pain and discomfort. I asked the doctor how this could happen! I was surprised that with all the healthy food and lifestyle I subscribed to I would have such a problem. He asked if I were sitting much. It dawned on me that I had not been moving frequently, but had been sitting most of the day to read, study, write curriculum and rest. My exercise program had all but gone out the door and I was stationary most of the day. He confirmed the future verdict. I would soon be experiencing more and more pain and possibly surgery if I did not change my ways and improve my movement. He taught me that the disks do not inherently receive nourishment through the skeletal system on their own. When the body bends, the vertebrae squeeze nutrients into the disk, which strengthens it. With a lack of movement, the disks receive little to no nutrients and they begin to shrink. Vertebrae, then, grow closer to each other and can eventually fuse together causing excruciating back pain. My eyes were open as my mind exploded with images of walking canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and hospital beds. No, this was not the path I desired to tread. A change would happen. The Chiropractor prescribed frequent daily movement besides special stretches and regular exercise. I purchased a Fitbit Charge 2 from Costco and began my regimen, but that was not all. I began contemplating the significance of all aspects of personal improvement.

While pain and necessity tend to furnish powerful wake-up calls, some people choose the easy path of medical assistance, while others go about setting goals and continue moving toward the accomplishment of those goals. It would seem that the consistent goal for personal happiness consists of good health and well-being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Admittedly, differing opinions may feel that bodily degeneration is part of life and generally accepted, for instance, the ubiquitous handicapped sign. Nevertheless, The obvious goal for personal happiness, which consists of good health and well-being, is that a person should continually be moving and improving the character, the body, and the spirit.

Improving the character requires tenacity and diligence to prune the weaknesses and build the strengths. Aristotle teaches the idea of potentiality and the movement towards what we are capable of learning and doing. He uses the Greek word energeia to describe the potency, or potential, of something or someone. In his translation of Nicomachean Ethics, Joe Sachs describes how to understand this energeia as “being-at-work-ness.” Aristotle believed that a human was always tending toward either improvement or degeneration depending on whether or not he was being-at-work to improve. Essentially, if one is to improve their character, one must exert effort and energy to swim upstream against the strong current of apathy and complacency. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Rise to the great potential within you.” It is a privilege and a divine decree to become what one was created to become. Margaret D. Nadauld invited the women of the LDS church to rise up, “Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.” It is not enough to sit motionless where one now finds herself. In fact, it is a nontruth to sit motionlessly. One seems always to move, either forward or backward, but the only movement which requires effort is to move in a positive advancing direction. Set goals; move forward.

Improving the physical body similarly requires persistent daily movement and proper nourishment. Although nourishing the body is of considerable importance, I will focus on movement. The most beneficial is the non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) throughout the day. It involves the regular movement around the home or office, climbing the stairs, doing tasks, walking from the car to the store, standing up, reaching for things, etc. The vertebrae and disks benefit the most from NEAT and stretching. I can vouch for it as my back has fully recovered from several months of daily movement and stretching. A Fitbit or other exercise tracking device is useful in reminding one to stand up hourly and move. Making time each week to exercise aerobically improves the heart and alternating with strength training strengthens the muscles and increases stamina in the overall body. The trick to continued physical improvement ultimately depends upon the automaticity of daily movement, or as Aristotle would teach, the being-at-work-ness, of building the strength of all bodily functions.

Finally, the third area of improvement toward happiness is strengthening the spirit. Knowing one’s divine nature as a child of God does more for the spiritual energeia, than anything else. Both improving Character and strengthening the physical body boost the spiritual capacity. By enlightening the mind to truth and nourishing the lifeblood, one looks upward to their Creator with an intense desire to come closer to Him who heals, comforts, blesses, and guides. Being-at-work-ness looks like a person who studies the scriptures, communes with God through prayer, sing hymns of praises, repents often, makes and keeps sacred covenants in the temple, prepares himself weekly to take the Sacrament and improve his soul through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

There are those that believe it is easier to coast, not worrying about self-improvement. What good can come from exerting effort in something so difficult when it is natural to drift along where life is taking them? No doubt these are the people who perceive there is no great reward in swimming upstream or possibly those who place the victim hat upon their head who feel they are behind in the race and cannot compete with those who are trying. In the short-term cruising along appears easier, but in the long run, their character, physical body, and spirit will certainly degenerate.

Other naysayers feel that no matter what they do to improve, that degeneration is inevitable. They feel that they have tried but to no avail. They are bombarded with setbacks and obstacles. For them, there is no point in improving self when the tide is strong against them. They are correct that obstacles stand in the way, that vicissitudes riddle life’s opportunities, but to them, I say they are denying agency and effort. They are denying their responsibility to improve self and society. They are ultimately denying the greatest happiness that comes from mastering oneself. What would have happened if Mother Theresa would have been overcome by her poverty and stopped her devoted service that saved hundreds? Great men and women let nothing shroud or impede their goals, but they face every deterrent, every obstacle, every hurdle and eventually their weaknesses become strengths.

Individual improvement begins with a desire, a goal, and the determination to be continually at-work-ness. It is a repetitious and habitual pattern of becoming. The consistent goal for ultimate happiness, which consists of good health and well-being should be that a person continually is moving and improving. Improvement builds an honorable character, movement builds a strong back and body, and both inspire lasting spiritual health. The daily practice of setting and achieving goals is to greatness as the moving and bending of the vertebrae is to a healthy spinal disk. Good Life depends upon it.