Do we really believe that education is just as important for women as it is for men?

By Steve M.

Education plays dual roles in Mormondom.

On the one hand, its pursuit is an act of devotion that makes men and women more godly. President Hinckley has instructed members, “You have a mandate from the Lord to educate your minds and your hearts and your hands” (Cite). The Doctrine & Covenants includes an injunction to “[s]eek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118), and states that “if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life . . . he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:19). Indeed, mortal life is an educative experience, and we often speak of eternity in terms of “learning” and “progression.” The sanctity of education is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the doctrine Joseph Smith enumerated in the King Follet Sermon: “you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves,” he instructed the Saints (emphasis added). From this perspective, it would seem that education is equally vital to both men and women.

On the other hand, the importance of education is often grounded in practical, rather than spiritual, concerns. We don’t talk a whole lot about the intrinsic value of an education, but its practical benefits are always at the forefront of our discourse. As one General Authority said to an audience of BYU students, “It is important that you do something that allows you to earn a good living, because you have to provide for a family; and that is what education is all about, in my opinion” (Cite). Similarly, in encouraging church members to “get all of the education that you possibly can,” President Hinckley reasons that “[l]ife has become so complex and competitive. . . . [The] world will in large measure pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field” (Cite). In light of quasi-scriptural proclamations that “[b]y divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families . . . [and m]others are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (Cite), one logical conclusion may be that education, the stuff of which lucrative careers are made, is more central to men’s familial role than to women’s.

More Than an M.R.S. Degree

by BiV

As I approached this topic, I wondered why education for ‘Mormon’ women should be any different than education for any other woman.  Are Latter-day Saints concerned that higher education might lure women into the workplace and away from traditional feminine responsibilities?

The following words promoting education for women were written by Daniel Defoe:

And herein it is that I take upon me to make such a bold assertion, That all the world are mistaken in their practice about women. For I cannot think that GOD Almighty ever made them so delicate, so glorious creatures; and furnished them with such charms, so agreeable and so delightful to mankind; with souls capable of the same accomplishments with men: and all, to be only Stewards of our Houses, Cooks, and Slaves.

And Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century Christian theologian, said that woman was “created to be man’s helpmeet, but her unique role is in conception . . . since for other purposes men would be better assisted by other men.”

One might think that since Mormon women have been encouraged to stay at home, conceive many children and fulfil traditional roles, higher education for women would be discouraged among the Saints.  Thankfully, this is not the case!  Beginning in the very early days of the Church, education for women kept pace with and even outstripped opportunities for other women in the United States.  In October 1873 Brigham Young announced that women would be sent east to be educated and trained in the medical field with the objective of returning to Utah to serve as physicians. Accordingly, Romania Pratt enrolled in the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in the fall of 1874. The following year Margaret Curtis enrolled in the Philadelphia school but after a month returned to Utah and her family because of homesickness. (She later returned to complete her degree in 1883.) Ellis Shipp was chosen to take her sister-wife Margaret’s place and eagerly set out for Philadelphia on 10 November 1875. Though she left behind her three small children in the care of her three sister-wives, she graduated with honors and later established her own medical practice.  She remained an active and devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served on the general boards of the Relief Society and the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association.

Since that auspicious beginning, education has been valued among Latter-day Saint women.  Prominent women in the Church including the leaders of the Auxiliaries and the wives of Prophets and GA’s have long encouraged the education of the female mind.  Camilla Kimball was a strong advocate for higher education and often advised women to gain as much formal education as was available to them. 

…I received a letter from a sweet young girl from Colorado asking, “Sister Kimball, since the Church stresses so the importance of a woman’s role as wife and mother, do you think it is necessary to have a college education?” You may be sure that I sent her a very detailed letter of the importance of all the education that a woman can acquire. A well-rounded education will be a great help in a woman’s important role both as wife and mother.

Sister Kimball and other Church leaders have stressed that higher education is an appropriate and desirable goal for Latter-day Saint women.  The skills of child training, economics and management, nutrition and nursing can directly complement women who follow traditional feminine roles.  Beyond this, formal education plays a role in helping women develop their talents and interests. 

Barbara B. Smith, General Relief Society President said that Latter-day Saint women are taught from their youth to get an education to prepare for marriage and homemaking as well as for a vocation, noting that “LDS women also fulfill societal roles such as physicians, lawyers, professors, homemakers, administrators, teachers, writers, secretaries, artists, and businesswomen. Additionally, many serve in community, political, and volunteer capacities.” 

Gordon B. Hinckley, our current prophet, stated that “in revelation the Lord has mandated that this people get all the education they can.”  In fact, Latter-day Saint women have been so successful in their pursuit of educational programs that the Prophet is now concerned that young men are falling far behind.

Education for the Mormon female is plainly more than just an M.R.S. Degree.  However, it does not seem to me that higher education has impacted Latter-day Saint women in ways that would keep them from fulfilling their responsibilities to home and family.  For example, the educated woman of today is more likely to breast-feed her children.  She is more likely to have skills that allow her to work from home or creatively manage work time so as to spend more time with home and family.  What do you think?  In your opinion, is higher education for women more or less conducive to women being able to perform their Church-defined gender roles?

Be a bad man/woman

“Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone” was on  tonight.  I got to thinking how I preferred the old Dumbledore  to the new one.  Unfortunately the death of Richard Harris was what necessitated the change.  Perhaps Harris’ role could have been Samuel L. Jackson playing Dumbledore in the persona of his Jules Winnfield character from “Pulp Fiction”.

For me humor is something that I use sparingly, or I should say, with discretion.   I like to joke around but have learned there are time when doing so is in really bad form.   I have learned that laughter can cheer a soul more then most things I know of.  But I decided to have some fun with this week’s post.

So if you have need a good laugh, click here.  It ain’t Harry Potter.  But I think it’s funny.

The Interplay of Culture and Doctrine

By Steve M.

Because M&M’s thoughts on goal-setting and New Year’s resolutions are so similar to my own (and you guys probably thought we never agreed on anything), I’m going to write on the topic originally scheduled for this week–which is, as our one-week-behind sidebar indicates, “Nevertheless they are to be used sparingly.”

As most readers of this blog probably recognized, that phrase comes from Doctrine & Covenants 89:12, a verse in the revelation that has come to be called the “Word of Wisdom.” Verse 12 states that while the “flesh . . . of beasts and of the fowls of the air” are “ordained for the use of man,” they are “nevertheless they are to be used sparingly.” Verse 13 elaborates, stating that “it is pleasing unto [God] that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.”

As the Word of Wisdom entry in the lds.org “Gospel Topics” section indicates, the revelation is commonly described as the “law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children.” That webpage succinctly describes the law as it is understood in the modern church. It prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and “hot drinks” (i.e., tea and coffee), implicitly forbids illegal drugs and other addictives, and encourages the consumption of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Notably, the entry specifically points out that the revelation also prescribes the “sparing” consumption of meats, but does not mention the part about times of winter, cold, or famine.

Of course, modern Mormons aren’t particularly known for their “sparing” consumption of meat. We may be known for not smoking or drinking, but we can’t claim quasi- or partial vegetarianism as one of our distinguishing characteristics.

I believe that Section 89, particularly its counsel regarding meat consumption, is one of the best examples of how culture affects the meaning of what we consider a divine revelation (in this case, one that is partially delivered in the voice of God). While Latter-day Saints accept as God’s literal words the proclamation that “[w]hat I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself” (D&C 1:38), we have nonetheless used Section 89 as a mere starting point for subsequent interpretations and reinterpretations of “the Lord’s law of health.”

History tells us that Section 89 probably had a different meaning to the Latter-day Saints of the 1830s. Its prohibitions fit well with the temperance movements, which cautioned against consuming substances such as tobacco and alcohol. These movements even debated the health implications of drinking liquids served at elevated temperatures (which, of course, included tea and coffee). As one society wrote, “Cold water clears the head; and though it does not regenerate, it greatly unwraps the heart.” The Temperance Society, which also preached against the use of “all ardent spirits as a beverage,” was often called the “Cold Water Society” by outsiders (see here). In this context, the statement that “hot drinks are not for the body or belly” (D&C 89:9) would not have been ambiguous. Likewise, moderation or abstinence in meat may have been linked to the temperance movement; a subsequent temperance-oriented movement in England regarded meat as a stimulant, and described abstinence from it as “the higher phase of temperance” (see here). Thus, the endorsement of “sparing” meat consumption also may have been unsurprising. As the Kirtland Temperance Society had succeeded in closing the city’s distillery during the month prior to the reception of the Word of Wisdom, temperance was likely at the front of the Kirtland Saints’ minds. While the extent to which the movement influenced Joseph Smith or the revelation itself is up for debate, nineteenth-century views of health would have informed the early Saints’ views of the Word of Wisdom.

Although the revelation was not solidified as a requirement for temple attendance until 1921 (during the Prohibition era, appropriately), and in its present form is still introduced with the words “not by commandment or constraint,” it is one of the most seriously taken commandments in Mormondom. However, to modern adherents far removed from the cultural context of nineteenth-century America, the original import of the revelation text is less clear. To us, “hot drinks” has always meant tea and coffee, and it is widely believed that the rationale has something to do with the beverages’ caffeine content (although hot chocolate, a “hot drink” not forbidden by the Word of Wisdom and widely enjoyed by Mormons, has about the same caffeine content as green tea–see here). The belief is implicitly backed up by the Church, as its temples, universities, and other outlets do not serve caffeinated beverages (even the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is largely directed at non-Mormon tourists, only serves decaffeinated coffee). Beer is decidedly a prohibited substance, even though the original revelation endorsed the use of barley for “mild drinks” (verse 17). And, as hinted at above, the injunction to partake of meat “sparingly”–preferably only in times of cold, winter, and famine–although clearly stated in the revelation, is almost universally ignored. Thus, while a cup of tea will keep you out of the temple, consuming six Big Macs per day won’t. We ostensibly believe that the revelation–the whole revelation–is inspired, yet our modern conception of the Word of Wisdom is, in many respects, at odds with the actual text of Section 89.

Culture is probably at least partially responsible for the evolution of the Mormons’ understanding of the revelation. As mentioned, it transitioned from “inspired counsel” to “binding commandment” at a time when alcohol was prohibited in the United States. As illicit drugs became a concern in the twentieth-century, they were added to the list of the revelation’s prohibited substances. As concerns related to “winter, cold, and famine” shrunk and meat was cemented as a staple of modern Americans’ diet, the revelation’s counsel regarding meat consumption apparently faded into insignificance.

Some Mormons apparently experience some cognitive dissonance as they observe the gap between their own diet and that originally prescribed by the revelation. Gramps responds to the concern with an explanation I’ve heard on several occasions–that the first comma in verse 13 was originally lacking. Apparently, it originally read: “And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.” Hence, according to Gramps, the verse was intended to convey the opposite meaning–that it pleases the Lord when His people don’t confine their meat consumption to times of winter, cold, and famine. Of course, this explanation ignores the context established in the previous verse (“sparingly”), and fails to consider that the addition of the comma may have been intended to clarify the verse, and to make its “true” or original meaning more apparent. It also ignores nineteenth-century interpretations of the verse, such as Eliza R. Snow’s “In Our Lovely Deseret,” which celebrates that the children of Deseret eat “[b]ut a very little meat.” This cognitive dissonance may also be apparent in the scriptures cited in the footnote to the word “sparingly” in the current edition of the Doctrine & Covenants, each of which endorse the use of meat rather than elaborate on the word “sparingly.” Perhaps springboarding off of the gap between nineteenth-century and modern interpretations of the Word of Wisdom, the Sugar Beet has toyed with the idea of applying the meat restriction in the same manner that the revelation’s other mandates are presently applied: “Excess Meat Scandal Rocks Seminary Presidency.”

In a recent VSOM thread, one commenter said the following: “There is a difference between Mormon culture and Mormon doctrine. The doctrine is there to guide us and help us be more Christ-like, but unfortunately the culture lags behind what the doctrine teaches.” I don’t entirely disagree with the statement, but in many (if not most) instances, I tend to agree with the Narrator’s response: “Doctrine is defined by the culture. If a doctrine isn’t accepted by the culture, it fades on the wayside. (See Adam-God, ancestry of Native Americsns [sic], priesthood ban doctrines, immorality of birth control, etc etc etc). On the other hand, when a culture largely embraces a teaching it becomes ‘doctrine.’”

As discussed, culture has most likely influenced the evolution of Word of Wisdom understanding in Mormondom, thus affecting the manner by which we define doctrine and expected behavior. While “doctrines” are widely described as “universal” or “unchanging,” the disparity between the Section 89 text and contemporary interpretations of the law it introduced evidences the fact that our conceptions of “doctrine” change. As is often the case, the line separating cultural norms from universal truth, human from the divine, is fuzzy. In the black-and-white world of Sunday School and the Correlation Committee, such a proposition may be discomfiting. But embracing it accommodates a more nuanced, flexible, and realistic approach to the origins, function, and development of revelation and doctrine in Mormonism.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Goal-setting

I will make a confession. I am horrible with goal-setting. I always have been. Personal  Progress was near torture for me, not because I didn’t think there was value in it, but because I am not good at writing down goals and then figuring out when I have accomplished them sufficiently to pass them off.

I think it’s the perfectionist in me. If I write something down, then I feel that pressure to do it perfectly. My leaders finally encouraged me to realize that I lived so much of my life by goals, but just didn’t have them written. I was a driven student, a regular scripture-reader, a person who cared about service, etc. etc. etc. But I just could never figure out how to write down a goal and figure out when it was done ‘enough.’ I still think there is a bit of that fear in me, although I do feel my increased understanding of and appreciate for the Atonement that has grown since my teenage years has helped me with my perfectionism, at least a little.

But I am still haunted by the old saying that ‘a goal not written down is only a wish.’ I think I need to do more of that.

So, I try to write things in my journal. I am trying to share some of my goals with my husband so he can help me work toward them. But I still feel perhaps that I am not doing all I should by not being more particular about the goal-setting process.

Is there anyone else out there who struggles with this, too? Please, someone, tell me I’m not alone.

I have to say, also, that I am not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I would rather be thinking about goals and hopes and need for change all year. Besides, it seems that New Year’s Resolutions only last for an average of about two weeks (if that).

What do you do to set and achieve goals? Do you write them down? Do they float in your brain? Do you work with someone on them? Do you have any hints or suggestions for someone as goal-challenged as I?

A Resolution Kept

by BiV

Many years ago, when I was newly married, we attended a student ward at BYU.  One Sunday I met a girl from Brazil who had just moved to Provo.  I was friendly to her, but because of the language barrier, I couldn’t speak with her very long without running out of things to say.  A few weeks after she began attending the ward, I had a strong urge to pick up the phone and call her.  I didn’t do it because I knew it would be completely awkward.  What would I say to her?  How would we communicate?  I had the same feelings a few more times in the coming weeks, but I ignored them.  Things were busy at BYU, I had a part-time job, I was pregnant, and working steadfastly on my callings.  At the end of the semester, the Brazilian girl bore her testimony in her broken English, which had much improved in just a few months.  She cried, said she was leaving the ward and Provo, and that in all the months she had been in the ward she had not made one friend.  As she said these words a sharp pain came into my heart and I realized that I had been prompted to befriend her and had rejected these small whisperings from the Holy Ghost. 

At that moment I resolved never to ignore a prompting to pick up the phone and call someone.  I haven’t had very many (what I can identify as) promptings in my life, but whenever I feel that I should make contact with someone, I have tried not to rationalize it or overanalyze whether it comes from God or not–and just pick up the phone.

And this is a resolution I’ve succeeded with so much better than that 10 pounds I try to lose every January.

I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions (or how the krueger saved christmas)

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions.

The above line was going to be the entirety of my post this week, but I decided to tag on a post I had written earlier today for my personal blog – because it can be a New Year’s resolution if I want to call it that. I usually write my personal blog in all lowercase. I hope it’s not too hard to read

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*how the krueger saved christmas*

-by the narrator

for a few different reasons, the christmas season just wasn’t that holly jolly for me this year. i tried to merry up the days, but nothing seemed to work. christmas music (even sufjan stevens) didn’t have the magic it used to. tv specials and holiday movies did not entice me. hot chocolate. forget it. gift shopping wasn’t the joy it usually was. and christmas lights were only amusing when i got to point out how pathetic some house displays were with their single strands across a garage or window.

bah humbug indeed.

then came the night before the night before christmas. i joined up with a handful of friends to watch a couple south park christmas specials as well as the mormon christmas classic, mr. krueger’s christmas, starring jimmy stewart. for those of you who haven’t seen it, this 1980 production tells the story of willy krueger, an elderly widower who lives in the basement of an apartment complex with his cat george. the first 2/3 of the movie basically consists of willy krueger going off into day-dream land where he rides sleighs, thinks he’s nobility, conducts the mormon tabernacle choir, and other things that crazy old men day dream of.

i haven’t seen this movie for several years and the first two-thirds had me wondering, what the hell is this movie?

but then the last third suddenly changed everything. while adjusting his small end-table nativity scene, willy’s day dreaming takes him to bethlehem where he finds himself in a stable approaching the baby jesus in his manger.

Hello there… I-I-I-I… Oh dear… Oh… Oh, you’re-you’re… I’m Willy Krueger and I’m custodian over at the Beck Apartments, but, but you know that, don’t you. You know that. I guess nobody here can see me or hear me except you. I didn’t bring a gift, I, but I, I guess that’s not important. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. As long as I can remember you’ve been right by my side. I’ll never forget when you walked with me right in those first few hours after I lost Martha. I-I’ve always been able to count on you, when I felt dark inside and when I… You were right there, right, every time, right there. Even when I didn’t feel good about myself, I knew that you cared for me enough, and that, that made me feel better. Like that time I got mad with Mabel Huntington because she broke her pipes on purpose just so she could have somebody to see while I came up and fixed them for her. Boy, I hollered at her, boy I hollered real loud. But then, then I got to thinking – you loved Mabel just as much as you loved me and I should treat her the way you want me to. I believe I talked to you about that at the time. Well, I started visiting her and we became friends. I saw her almost every day until the day she died. I love you. You’re my closest, my finest friend. And that means that I can hold my head high, wherever I go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

while this scene had a sudden and profound effect on me, it was what happens next that really hit me. a young girl who is accompanying a group of carolers invites willy to join their group. while he initially plays it off, it’s clear that this was what willy wanted and needed more than anything that christmas – someone to befriend and love him. afterall, isn’t that what anyone really wants?

krueger saved my christmas that night. i realized that i had something to offer this christmas… well not necessarily for christmas… but i had something to offer. like willy, there are plenty of people who need someone. people who are struggling and need support, friendship, help, and love. however, i don’t want to help old people. you see… old people scare me. not only do they go all willy and day dream all the time, they have stuff growing on them, say weird things, get mad for no reason, smell funny, have memory trouble, call me names of former lovers, wear diapers, and a plethora of other things that i just don’t handle well. rather, i really want to do something i’ve been planning on doing, but haven’t gotten around to.. mentoring a child. a few months ago i had the paper work all ready to go, but a sudden car accident ruined everything. now, however, i’ve got the car, time, and means to do it. all i lack are excuses.

so that is how the krueger saved christmas. he helped me realize that i do have a christmas gift to offer this season. now i just need to make sure that i follow through with it.

—————————–
“I love you.” That’s what Christmas is all about… Clarissa said it to Mr. Krueger; Mr. Krueger said it to Jesus; and Jesus in so many ways said it to all of us.
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My gift to you!!!

About three years ago, my friend Ryan introduced me to a band called plus minus. I listened to a couple of their songs online but was not impressed enough to buy their albums. While I was poking around their site, I came across something fascinating. Their yearly, continental food tour.

Plus Minus toured Asia a few times and while they were there they chronicled everything they ate in series of photo essays called the Authentic Asian Food Tour. I have taken all the tours and am now sharing with this “gift”. I thought it was interesting, and usually am hungry/nauseated after the tour (Frankly there are some things that just do not look good).

On a related note, Plus Minus has inspired me to do my own tour and photo essay that I am going to call the Authentic Provo Food Tour. I will work on it gradually and post it when it is finished. I doubt that I will ever be able to eat at every restaurant in Provo any time soon but should have completed my tour sometime this summer.

So here is a link that will allow you to take the Food tour because after all, since Mormons do not smoke or drink, some find their outlet in food. So take the tour. If you dare!!!!!!!!!!!

link to food tour

Thoughts on Gifts and Toenails

by BiV

I have received several notable gifts through heredity.  One of the most fascinating to me is my baby toenail.  It’s strange how, for at least 4 generations, the women on the maternal side of my family have been born with a very small toenail on our little toes.  It is so small it looks more like a dot than a toenail.  It is too small to apply nail polish.  I’ve always appreciated this genetic gift from my forebears–odd enough to be distinctive, yet not really a deformity.  When each of my daughters was born, I didn’t check for five fingers; rather, I glanced down at the smallest toe first.  How sad I felt when I saw that I had not passed down this distinguishing characteristic!  In each case, their baby toenail was larger at Day One than my own. 

 Other gifts passed down may not be so welcome.  My sister and I, having passed the age of 40, have noticed evidence that we may have received the gift of jowls–so prominent in the aged members on my father’s side of the family.  Yikes!  Another gift I’ve noticed lately that I’ve given to my daughters is the “Nancy Lund” voice.  When my mother was angry, she began to speak in a tight, controlled voice, enunciating each word and speaking down as if to a preschooler.  I didn’t realize I did the same thing until I began to recognize it in my older children. 

As children of Christ, his sons and his daughters, we are partakers of the divine nature.  Lately I’ve been wondering what this means in terms of heredity.  Are there gifts we inherit from our spirit parents?  Are we predisposed to receive the gift of healing, or the gift of tongues, or even the gift of weeping from our Heavenly Father and Mother?  Is becoming like Christ a difficult task we must fight for, or are there things that come to us easily, as gifts, simply because we have chosen to follow him and become his children? 

It’s been a constant struggle for me to try to develop a Christlike character.  Almost every good quality exhibited by the Savior is something that has been difficult for me to emulate.  But my thoughts on spiritual gifts have led me to two areas where I feel that I have been gifted.  I won’t share them here, because for some reason it would be more embarrassing to tell you what they are than to describe the appearance of my smallest toenail.  I’m not sure why–maybe because these gifts pale in comparison with the abilities of other Latter-Day Saints.  Yet I feel deep within that they are strengths.  One of these has always been with me.  Perhaps it is indeed inherited at a spirit level.  The other became evident when I was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost at age 19.  It was as if when I was adopted into the covenant there actually was a change in my character and this gift was bestowed upon me. 

Of course, there are many other gifts we may lay hold of because of our desire and our diligence.  I know that the gifts we obtain this way come from God and are valuable and useful.  However, the things that have been given to me through no effort of my own are somehow so precious and sweet.  They make me feel so close to the Divine, simply because they identify my heritage.  It’s like looking in the mirror, and seeing the shadow of jowls coming on, and smiling at my great-grandfather.

Giving Jesus the Gift of Captain Underpants

by the narrator

This is a little early, but I’m getting kinda desperate here. You see, normally I LOVE Christmas. I listen to Christmas music all month long. I wear a stupid Christmas hat with blinking lights everywhere. I get all excited about buy gifts for friends and family. i look at lights. I do all that holly jolly Christmas stuff.

The problem is that this year I have had zero Christmas spirit. Nothing. Nada. I have had no desire to sing or listen to Christmas songs. I haven’t even looked for that hat. I could care less about getting gifts. The only time I have looked at Christmas lights was to point out which houses should probably just take theirs down. I’ve pretty much been the Grinch who you wouldn’t touch with a 30 foot pole. It’s not a fun place to be.

Having had no Christmas spirit, here is a blog post about gift giving that I wrote a few years ago:

i needed a little break from paper writing, so i went to our ward’s fhe tonight. the bishop told a little story and then said that we need to think about giving jesus a present. what are we going to give him? not an ipod, he says.

i’m sure most in the room were thinking “ooh, i’ll give him a broken heart and a contrite spirit” “i’ll give him my prayers” “i’ll give him more of my faith” “i’ll give him 20 minutes of scripture reading”

i think jesus would almost rather have an ipod, but i’m not sure what to give him this year.

last year i gave jesus harry potter and captain underpants. i’ve never read captain underpants, but one of my cousins loved it, so i thought jesus would appreciate it too.

not to sound braggish, but last christmas eve i met up with one of my old roommates for some breakfast at the village inn. yeah… i know… why would i brag about that. lots of people do that. i’m not done with the story stupid.

after breakfast, i went over to barnes and noble to window shop ( i usually order my books through amazon). in the center of the store there was a little tree with ornaments labeled “boy, age 14″ “girl, age 8″ “girl, age 4″ etc… these all represented under-priveledged kids who didn’t have much. grab an ornament, pick out a book, pay at the register, kid gets a brand new book for christmas… not some crappy, beat up hand me down.

girl, age 12 got harry potter, books 1, 2, and 3. boy, age seven got the captain underpants collection.

“inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

this was by far, the highlight of my christmas.

So here’s my dilemma. I need some Christmas spirit. I need to find something, some form of charity, some Christmas grace, something that gives me that Christmas joy I have completely lacked this holiday season. I only have a couple days left. Please help.