Meet the Mormons and the power of one

Two weeks ago I saw the Meet the Mormons movie. Since then, I have been pondering this movie's message and from it I have drawn a few lessons about how this movie can apply in our lives.

The movie was clearly designed to help people overcome some misconceptions about what it means to be Mormon. I found that this movie also successfully helped disprove some misconceptions we can have about what it means to be successful in life.  Another wonderful message of this movie is the power of one to change and improve the lives of many other people.  There is no place in the world where help is not needed. There is no problem so large that one person can't make a difference. One person can make a difference in his or her own life and in the lives of others.

The movie begins in Times Square in NYC with the Mormon comedienne Jenna Kim Jones speaking to passersby and asking them what they think of when they hear the word Mormon. Although this movie focuses upon six other individuals, the movie's effort to help us overcome false expectations of life truly begins with Jenna. She makes a successful living as a comedian while still maintaining her Mormon identity. Think of it! A person can actually make jokes for a living while staying clean and not giving into the easy temptation to be raunchy or even to swear.  Jenna was featured in a "I'm a Mormon" video sometime ago.  Jenna Kim Jones: I'm a Mormon She says that she doesn't swear in her comedy so that she can be true to herself. We don't need to hide who we are or change who we are in order to fit into others' expectations. That's a wonderful message of the Meet the Mormons movie.

One of the individuals who is profiled in Meet the Mormons is Carolina Muñoz Marin. She is a mom and an amateur kick boxer from Costa Rica.  Her devotion to kick boxing may not be a "traditional" thing for any woman to do, much less for a Mormon mother.  She goes on early morning runs, has lengthy training sessions during the day and has kick boxing matches at night.  Just because she is a stay-at-home mother does not mean she must always stay at home! Her husband supports her efforts to build on her talents by taking care of the children and getting the chores done. It is truly unfortunate if we let ourselves believe that fixing breakfast, doing laundry, taking care of the children and all the fun of raising a family isn't normal a part of a husband's life. He doesn't stop being a man when he starts to take care of the home. He lives up to his role as a man. Being active in a sport doesn't require Carolina to give up her femininity. Being involved in rough sport does not mean that she must be a rough person. Carolina used her kick boxing to help bring in donations for needy school children. She collaborated with her Catholic neighbors to spread the reach of these efforts. How motherly it is to make great efforts to be a mother to children who are not her own! One person can accomplish great things in order to provide for others.

Another individual profiled in this movie was a man named Bishnu Adhikari.  He saw the desperate needs of the people in his homeland of Nepal. Can one person bring the necessities of life to rural villages spread throughout the mountains? Yes! One man can begin a project to build a pipeline to bring water to village of 1,500 families. One source of water can save the lives of thousands of people. One group can build a school to educate generations of people.

One reason for hope can save the life of one family.  Meet the Mormons introduced us to Dawn Armstrong.  She grew up alone on the streets.  She gave birth to a son, Anthony, while in her teens.  The father of their child wanted nothing to do with his son.  Dawn met one person, then another, eventually leading her to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As she says in the movie, "One choice can change everything."  She later married a good man, continued to raise her son and have many more children. Her difficult past does not make Dawn a less worthy Mormon.  It makes her a model for Mormons!  She is an example of one who did not give up on herself or her family or her God.

One person chooses to live the truth. One person helps the poor.  Another person helps the poor in heart.  One made the choice to not give up.  One source of water quenches the thirsty.  One source of living water, the gospel of Jesus Christ, can save a soul and save a family.

The message of Meet the Mormons, to me, is to have confidence in my ability to make a difference in my own life and in the lives of others and in the willingness and power of God to make it happen. There is hope. There is truth. There are many who need it and it only takes one to bring it. The power of one.

Likening the Old Testament made it easier to read!

Reasons to read the Old Testament: The Old Testament contains promises that were made to Abraham and were renewed with others for generations afterward (Genesis 12:1-3 & Genesis 13:14-17). One of the promises was a land of inheritance, the Holy Land, for his faithful posterity. Other promises include an eternal posterity, numbering as many as the sands of the seashore. Reading about the Lord's efforts to bring the children of Israel to the promised land made me think of how much the Lord is willing to do to bring his children into an eternal land of promise: eternal life and exaltation. If the Lord will do miracles to give His children a place to live and raise their families, how much more is the Lord willing to do to bring His children into the blessings of the gospel to make their families become eternal families?
I love the gospel and I know God loves us so much that He will do all that He can to bring us back home.

Mercy.

Here is a statement from J. Reuben Clark. He served in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a brief summary of the Lord's incomprehensible mercy. "When the Lord metes out punishment, he will mete out the least possible punishment that it is possible to mete out and satisfy the demands of justice; and when he metes out rewards for the good things we have done, for keeping the commandments, he will mete out the greatest possible number of blessings for that which we have done that is right What is repentance? It is turning away from sin and turn to God. How? It is to stop doing those bad things and to start doing those good things. There are so many ways we can return to God. And doing those things brings forgiveness. 1. Do missionary work – D&C 30:5; D&C 61:33-34; D&C 62:3; 2. Bear testimony – D&C 62:3 3. Confess – D&C 64:7 4. Ask for forgiveness – D&C 64:7: D&C 90:1; 5. Repent – D&C 68:24 6. Remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you – D&C 84:61 7. Forgive men their trespasses – 3 Nephi 13:14 8. Purified by hope – 1 John 3:3 9. Hear the word of God from the mouth of God’s servants – D&C 50:36 10. Become clean by receiving the word of Christ – John 15:3 The beauty comes in knowing the WHY. Why does doing all sorts of good things bring forgiveness? All these things bring the Holy Spirit into our lives. The Holy Spirit is the one who cleanses us of our mistakes, 3 Nephi 19:13. If you do this, you will grow closer to God as you do what He would do if He were here.

Sunday Sermon (2/19/12)

2/19/12 Today I want to share some of my thoughts on modesty. ... 1. What is modesty? 2. Why does the modesty matter in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? ... What is modesty? That seems like a simple one. Cover up, right? I have learned that modesty is more than that. So much more. If we understand the “why” of modesty then it’s easier to understand what modesty is. Nearly everything I am about to suggest comes from Susan Bednar, wife of Elder David A. Bednar. She gave a talk on September 16, 2001 at BYU-I. http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/transcripts/devotionals/2001_09_16_bednarsusan.html ... First: The “Why” of modesty. The world falsely believes that Mormons have a dress code to: 1. Control women 2. Help men control their thoughts. ... The Church seems to say, and Sis. Bednar pointedly says, there are three reasons why we, men and women, should be modest. 1. To receive companionship of the Holy Ghost 2. To reverance womanhood. 3. To send a message to others that you are a daughter of God. ... What am I trying to say? Modesty in the Church is not because of men. If modesty was because of men, and if men were infallible, then modesty would … go away? Modesty does help men so much when we live up to our potential. Modesty (actions, words, appearance) is about helping you reach your divine potential! ... Susan Bednar said, “We seem to need constant reminders that we should treat our bodies as temples of God.” Again, modesty is for you, as child of God. Your purity benefits others. Things we say, do and wear can make it difficult to keep companionship of the Holy Ghost. The men struggle. The women can help. The body is sacred. Treat your body like the sacred gift from your Father in Heaven that it is. Treat other people’s bodies sacredly, too. ... Second: The “What” of modesty: Susan Bednar quotes the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 2, to define modesty: “A quality of mind heart, and body; modesty is an attitude of humility, decency, and propiety that may be evidenced in thought, language, dress, and behavior.” Be clean in action, words and appearance, and by so doing you can reverence womanhood, have the Holy Spirit with you and send an unmistakable message about who your Heavenly Father knows you are.

I am a Mormon. A father. A husband. And now I have some thoughts to share. Stay tuned ...