You May Say I'm A Dreamer

Eternity in Her Eyes

2010-02-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

By
Joshua C. Merris

Here I stand amidst a spacious field ensnared by hate and lies
Encumbered by the hopelessness of its broken hearted cries
So many lost, so many losing, some going and almost gone
Mists of darkness pierce the souls of men, few steadfast remain strong
The Light of Lights still calls to them, though in pride they do not see
Their gaze is fixed on mocking cries, their backs are to the Tree

And so here I stand amidst the crowds, upon a path my feet still trod
So narrow, so fixed, I feel my way, firmly holding to the rod
Sometimes my clenched fists felt so weak, when I felt I was alone
But another has come to walk with me, now together we journey home
We hear the voice of Him who calls, though by the world we are despised
Together before Him our knees will bow, I see Eternity in her eyes

My Thoughts on Christ at Christmas Time

2009-12-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Season, I am reminded of a powerful and poignant story shared by a fellow college student just a year ago during one of our church meetings. I should hope that I never forget it. He told of the following:
It was Christmas time and his father was the manager of a prominent sporting goods store. An error which seemed to be deliberate occurred in the accounting practices of the store in which it appeared that someone had pilfered money as a sizeable portion of the store's revenue could not be accounted for. My college friend's father, who had no involvement in the fallacious accounting practices or pilfering was given an ultimatum. He could choose to deny any involvement and be fired for not accepting responsibility for the error, or he could falsely admit to being the author of the inauspicious plot, and face a mere reprimand and reproof from his superiors in the store's corporate leadership. To his son, this faithful man expressed, "I will not admit to something I did not do. I would rather my son know that he has an honest father than to have money for presents at Christmas time." He then expressed his undeviating confidence in the Lord, and told his son that he knew all would be well.
I share this story this Christmas season, because it so clearly illustrates a lesson so oft forgotten and so seldom remembered by so many each year as December approaches us. It begs the question, 'What is most important at Christmas time - the presents that mark our trees and fill our stockings, or the integrity that marks our name and the love which fills our hearts?'
I believe that we have become all too concerned with money at Christmas time. We need only remember that first Christmas, when there was no room in the inn, and the little Lord Jesus lay down in the hay. As was His birth, so was His life. The birds of the air had nests, the foxes had holes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head. He surely had power to amass more riches than any mortal man has known, yet was content with a few loaves and fishes, of which He always gave greatly more than He received.
And then in those final hours, Christ was scorned and persecuted by the world He would save. To the layman and commoner, Christ's mortal mission must have seemed an utter failure, a good man whose purported status as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, found no more than a deriding crown of thorns, and a burdensome cross for his throne. What seemed an utter failure by worldly standards was the greatest and most triumphant victory which the world has ever known and will yet know. Can any fully comprehend the loving restraint which was necessary for the greatest of all to be spit upon and suffer it, to be scourged and to suffer it, to be smitten and to suffer it? As a lamb before its sheares is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Amidst the most unspeakable suffering ever endured by any of God's children, Jesus did not so much as open his mouth in rebuke or protest. He who had power with three words to still the might tempest did not seek to still the hatred and bitter venom of the crowds that would crucify Him. He drank the bitter cup without becoming bitter. Legions of angels stood waiting to rescue Him, but he knew that even they, in all of their glory were powerless to rescue us. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a one man mission, inaugurated by the selfless, sacrificial words of the Savior, "Here am I, send me." May we remember at Christmas time, that what the world esteemed as naught or failure, was a triumph more glorious than any mortal mind is capable of conceiving.
I believe that each of us who truly come to know the Master must sooner or later pass through the Garden's gate of Gethsemane and then approach the Golgothas of our lives. The moment will surely come when every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. All will come to more fully appreciate the words of that great hymn, as we will be compelled to fall on our knees, and to hear the angels' voices. Perhaps then, we will either rejoice or lament the stirring admonition of the Savior, that "he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." The triumph can only come from the confidence we have that we have fought a good fight, that we have finished our course, and that we have kept the faith. Perhaps we think too little of this, and too much of money at Christmas time.

My Joy in A Journey

2009-06-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have recently been boldly reminded of the words of Elder Russel M. Nelson who once declared, "Real joy awaits each of us - on the other side of sorrow." Indeed, my best friend Dane and I traveled through several experiences this past week which may well qualify as the ideal genesis of sorrow, but I feel inclined to speak of the "brightness of hope" and the reality of the joy that can be experienced as we look to the Lord who will not fail in guiding us through any vale of tears.
Rather than detailing the full import of the difficulties we faced during a greatly anticipated camping trip to the Southwest Uintas, I will briefly outline a few of the challenges which encompassed us. After both getting around 3 hours of sleep the night before embarking on our trip, Dane and I found ourselves stranded 5 miles up a steep and narrow mountain road, less than a mile below our final destination, the Grandview Trailhead. We were soon rescued by a group of middle aged guys who, in noticing our BYU hats were quick to let us know that they were University of Utah grads and fans. However, they were even quicker to help, and helped push and guide our car into a safe area by the side of the road. Though no one else could, I was able to get cell phone reception by some miracle and called my mother as well as the local ranger station. In doing so, I made the decision to continue but shorten our trip and return to the car the next day.
After an incredible day of fishing, I retired to our tent exhausted but struggled to fall asleep until 2 am as the hard and consistent rain beat upon our tent. I realized amidst my worrying that I had left the moon roof to the car open. Only a few weeks ago, I had left it open during a thunderstorm and returned to find a decent amount of water inside the car - and that was after about an hour. So as each pounding drop seemed to grow in frequency and intensity, so grew the intensity and frequency of my pleading with the Lord to provide a way that Dane and I, as well as my car could find a way safely to Provo the following day.
I awoke at 5:15 am after 3 hours of sleep, to the feeling of cold rainwater which had leaked and accumulated in a corner of the tent, soaking my feet. Dane was also awake and we decided to hike out of the Grandaddy Basin as quickly as possible. The rain miraculously stopped as we returned about 5 miles to the car. I was immediately reminded that I had left the moon roof open, but was surprised to discover that the interior of the car had miraculously remained dry. I then struggled to gain reception as I had found before. I paused to offer a silent prayer, and nearly immediately gained reception after multiple attempts. The first bit of news that I received came by text message from my mother informing me of Michael Jackson's death. I won't write a lot about that here, but that touched me more deeply than the state of my car. After talking to both my mother and father and struggling to find consistent reception, Dane and I decided to hike 5 more miles down the trail to a small camping area called Defa's Ranch, marked by its saloon and old western mentality. During this time, Dane realized that he had lost a very expensive pair of sunglasses during our journey. Toward the end of our descent, we also realized that we had just hiked about 20 miles in 24 hours.
We were distraught to discover in calling the few local towing companies that it would likely cost between $ 500 and $ 1000 to get our stranded car back to Provo. During our search for help, the workers at the Ranch were more hospitable and willing to help than perhaps any group of people I have yet known. Eventually, we met a cowboy, ruffian named Shay, who's language was consistently speckled with profanity and foulness. However, I have never met a man who was so willing to help while demanding nothing in return. Shay drove all the way up the mountain in his pick up truck, checked out our car, pulled it out of its ill fated spot, filled the leaking car with transmission fluid, and helped us to push and pull the car until it was possible to coast down the mountain to Defa's Ranch. Then, he offered to tow our car to Provo this coming Monday for merely the price of gas. But he didn't stop there. He personally arranged a ride for us from Defa's to Heber and then from Heber to Provo that evening. We received a ride from a group of kids our age who we later discovered were all high school dropouts. They smoked often during our trip, and the car was littered with beer cans, but they were among the kindest human beings that I have ever associated with. They were quick to allow us to use their phones, to give us drinks, and to help us feel comfortable. When we reached Heber, we were given a ride to Provo by a boy who recently graduated high school. He would later profess his sexual orientation as homosexual as he drove us to each of our apartments.
As I entered my apartment, my body was utterly wrecked and torn, but my faith and hope in humanity was elevated and bolstered as my heart was changed. I contemplated the many "Good Samaritans", mere strangers who had aided me amidst a sorrowful journey. Their fortuitous presence seemed more than a result of fortune. It was a miracle of God. I was reminded of the love that I have developed for others as I have sought to recognize the child of God deep inside each of us. I realized that behind every face, and behind every word or gesture, is a heart. And I renewed an invigorating hope and belief that people are indeed good at heart. Amidst the struggles which plague the world today, I am convinced that our greatest hope is not found in the intellect of our minds, but the love of our hearts. The world is so in need of love and the wings of hope upon which it flies. The good Samaritans who helped me home, by the view of the world, ranged from a few church going guys from a rival school, to a cursing cowboy, to a few high school dropouts, to a self proclaimed homosexual. Despite their various stations and behaviors in life, none rested or neglected the arduous task of getting me home without weariness. It has caused me to reflect on the central purpose of life - what it is really all about. We sometimes get caught up in a lot of the little things, and I am in no way suggesting that little things are not of value or not important, but I am not sure that my new cowboy friend Shay understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ less than a man who abides by all of the little things, but would pass a distraught wanderer. It seems to me that what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really all about is becoming more like Jesus Christ, who's central mission and purpose revolved in doing that which we could not do for ourselves. God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. When all is said and done, I do not think that our Savior, the King of Kings and our final judge will reveal to us the number of times that we smoked a cigarette or said a curse word, but how many times we passed by a desperate hopeless wanderer, both in body and in spirit.
I bear my witness that Jesus Christ really lived and yet lives as being a perfect love whose life was one of unparalleled service to which we may look to as a beacon of happiness, regardless of our present sorrow. I further testify that as we strive to recognize the reality of His hand in all things, we will certainly do all that we can to act as his hands in guiding without weariness even the most distraught wanderers of life. In so doing, our hearts will learn to match our actions and we will find joy in our journey. I thank God for the blessing of a broken down car on the side of a mountain. The cost of the transmission which was shot cannot compare to the valuable lessons which I learned from a trying journey. As I struggled to find my way safely home, I found renewed faith in the Master whom I will seek to serve by serving others forevermore.

Torture and Agression: The New American Way

2009-06-01T16:38:00.001-07:00

As President Obama is now fighting to keep detainee abuse photographs from being released, I have been alarmed by the widespread “American” support of both a lack of transparency in Government, and even the inhumane practices of torture and abuse of detainees. Some have sought to justify their position by referencing the atrocities of Iraqi insurgents, seemingly supporting the irrational conclusion that two wrongs may somehow make a right. Equally disturbing is the frequent defense of such disgusting displays of humanity as somehow “American.” Many cry that it is in the interest of our national security to cover our nation's sins, while I contend that every American has a right and even need to know of the atrocities which have been allowed and even condoned by our elected officials, both past and present. Perhaps through such actions, the American people may be awakened to the evils which we collectively have allowed and often times condoned. Preemptive war and torture of war criminals, though descriptive of the erroneous “New American Way”, are not in harmony with the philosophy of our nation's founders, nor the humanitarian principles once embodied by our great nation – a nation whose people once honored the rule of law of the land, namely the Constitution of the United States.
Some have mistakenly quoted the words of the Preamble of the Constitution as justification for our interventionist actions in Iraq and the undisclosed torture of Iraqi detainees. The words are familiar to all, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence ...”1 It is the term “common defense” that seems to be most frequently erroneously applied to justification of our nation's actions which are in opposition to the very Constitution which the Preamble introduces. I'd like to submit that the inspired men who penned those words would abhor torture of war criminals, and furthermore would view our presence in Iraq as a great detriment to our national security. Allow me to reference a few of their sentiments concerning the subject, and clearly explicate that our success in winning the Revolutionary War was bolstered by our principled, anti-torture philosophy.
In the year of 1776, the inception our nation's birth, American leaders believed that it was not enough to merely win the war fought on battlefields, but also the war which raged in the hearts and minds of men. Thus, they were deeply concerned with winning the war in such a way that was consistent with the ideals for which the young nation stood, principles which they believed had power to change the world in which they lived. Perhaps one of their greatest, yet largely unknown achievements was to successfully win the war while maintaining the humanitarian ideals for which their countrymen had been fighting. It is for this reason that they were wholly opposed to torture of war prisoners. This was more than fanciful idealism. It was the official policy of both the Continental Congress and the Continental Army.2
Despite the inhumane treatment of the British regulars and German mercenaries toward captured American soldiers, Washington refused to abrogate the ideals for which he was fighting. After capturing 1,000 Hessians in the Battle of Trenton, he ordered his men to treat their prisoners with the same decency and recognition of rights granted to the people living in the country for which they were fighting. In an order concerning prisoners which were taken during the Battle of Princeton, Washington wrote: "Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to Complain of our copying the brutal example of the British Army in their treatment of our unfortunate brethren…. Provide everything necessary for them on the road."2
John Adams believed that the humane treatment of prisoners was not only vitally consistent with the ideals of the American Revolution, but also of vital strategic value to winning the war as well. In a 1777 letter to his wife, Adams wrote: "I know of no policy, God is my witness, but this — Piety, Humanity and Honesty are the best Policy. Blasphemy, Cruelty and Villainy have prevailed and may again. But they won't prevail against America, in this Contest, because I find the more of them are employed, the less they succeed."2
British military leaders conversely recognized the counterproductive nature of their violent and inhumane treatment of American prisoners and felt that such atrocities stifled their military success. A 1778 letter from Col. Charles Stuart to his father, the Earl of Bute, reveals this sentiment,"Wherever our armies have marched, wherever they have encamped, every species of barbarity has been executed. We planted an irrevocable hatred wherever we went, which neither time nor measure will be able to eradicate."2
Furthermore, many modern Americans would be surprised to learn that the first code of conduct for the ethical and humane treatment of prisoners of war was created by President Abraham Lincoln, a personal hero of mine, in the year of 1863 and forbade any form of torture and cruelty. This official American code of conduct eventually became the model for the 1929 Geneva Convention.2
I do not believe in the current actions of our nation, but believe in the principles upon which it was founded. I do not believe in Bush or Obama, but in the principles of the Constitution they have sworn to uphold, yet wholly disreagard. The "war" in Iraq is wholly unconsitutional - it was never declared by Congress. It was also pre-emptive, violating the non-interventionist policy and wisdom of our founders (try looking up their thoughts on foreign involvement and you may be surprised at how much we have strayed). I have yet to understand how firing a few bullets into a hornets nest somehow increases our nation security. I have yet to understand from a logical perspective how bombing the cities of a nation who performed no acts of aggression toward our people prior to invasion will somehow cause them to like us. What would you do if China was bombing your city out of mere suspicion?
We don't increase our national security by stationing and delocalizing our soldiers internationally in needless wars which have conveniently changed their meaning and justification. Terrorism membership has risen at an alarming rate, and so has our federal deficit. We are spending a trillion dollars a year to finance our oversees interventionist empire, and yet we wonder why the value of the dollar is depreciating and our economy is collapsing.
I pray for our soldiers - I pray that they will come home as quickly as possible. I pray that we might be transparent in our efforts to stand for liberty by encouraging freedom by example rather than campaigning a paradoxical effort to force others to be free. I pray that we might be awakened to the erosion of our civil liberties as we fight a war supposedly aimed at granting such liberties to others. We find ourselves in a dangerous time and must hold to just and holy principles. If we bend for everything, in the end we will stand for nothing.
So if you are going to reference the words "We the people", you ought to familiarize yourself with the principles and ideals of those inspired men who wrote them. I believe if we hold these just and holy principles inviolate, we can become the kind of people they envisioned when they wrote those sacred words.
I think another important aspect of the words found in the Preamble of the Constitution is the word "defense." Preemptive action and interventionism does not constitute defense, but offense. The war in Iraq is aggressive, not defensive. They never struck until we did. Therefore, I feel it is imperative to recognize that the founders were dedicated to maintaining domestic strength rather than a strong foreign presence. I'd much rather adhere to the founders' foreign policy of building our strength at home so that no nation would dare attack us, rather than spreading our troops in 700 bases across the world in interference of the sovereignty of others, at times through blatant nation building. Meanwhile, as we struggle to build our own bridges in America, we are blowing them up in Iraq, and using taxpayer money to build them again. No nation can continue to spend a trillion dollars a year in “national defense” while simultaneously expecting to remain prosperous and impervious to the constraints of reality. Iraq did not willingly choose to be our enemy in this conflict, we made them our enemy through preemptive attacks. How long will we point to our self created enemies until we recognize the enemy within? We are engaged in very real self destruction, a destruction which is being fueled by pride, arrogance, and ignorance.
Imagine how much stronger we could be at home in building our national defense if we were to eradicate our exorbitant overseas presence in nations that grow in hatred toward us as we grow in numbers in their countries. Substantial evidence points to the fact that extremist terrorist groups do not fuel their fire out of hatred toward democracy or American wealth. They hate us because we are meddling in their domestic affairs with no sovereign right or elected jurisdiction. Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Therefore, we can't expect to have respect or power to govern a people that never gave us their consent. They have a right to retaliate. I am not a supporter of terrorism nor do I sympathize with evil of any form, but I wonder why we are so quick to disregard the illogical and unjust nature of our presence in Iraq. We are torturing individuals who are retaliating for their people being tortured. That isn't defense.
1.“Preamble to the United States Constitution.” Wikipedia.org.
2.Kennedy, Robert F. Jr. “America's Anti-Torture Tradition.” LA Times. December 17, 2005.

True Beauty

2009-04-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

I recently had a simple, yet life altering experience. It has caused me to carefully consider and reflect upon my perspective of others and of myself. As a result of it, I have pondered many times what constitutes true beauty, and the gross misunderstanding and vain perception wrought by society concerning this topic.
As I was entering a laundry room to simply move my clothes from the washer to the dryer, I just happened to notice from behind a well dressed girl, whose hair looked beautiful. Guys my age are always scoping out territory. It is what we do. haha. Anyhow, as the girl suddenly turned to look at me as I entered the room, it quickly became evident that she was a burn victim, and the side of her face was disfigured.
Suddenly, a thought entered my mind. It came subtly, yet powerfully. 'How pathetic, ridiculous, and horrible is it that this girl, whose smile is so warm and demeanor is so kind, is not viewed as beautiful by society? How despicable is it that because of an accident that likely happened in her childhood, 99 out of 100 guys would not even think of asking her on a date?' These thoughts have not left me, but have left me re-evaluating myself. I have realized how greatly society and the world's version of "true beauty" has affected my own perception and perspective.
I do not wish to imply that I do not value or respect those who dress well, and desire to take good care of themselves. However, it is of my opinion that we ought to value less as a society what is largely an accident of birth, and focus on the significance of beauty which one acquires, a beauty which is not found at the end of a scalpel or at the end of a clothing aisle at Abercrombie and Fitch.
It is not wrong to be beautiful, but it is not a requirement to healing the wrongs of the world. As I think of some of my greatest heros who have made the greatest difference in this world, they have largely done so through the greatness of their lives rather than the style of their clothing, or the features of their face. In fact, one of my greatest heroes is President Abraham Lincoln, who once declared himself "If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?" He was considered by many contemporaries to be a homely man. However, he is a man who is remembered with feelings of holiness by those of his homeland.
I have sometimes wondered how different we would be if for just one day we could view the world through the eyes of God. How would we view others? How might we view ourselves? It seems to me that His view of beauty is quite different than the view of the world.
This life is a time to learn what true beauty is.

Tithing vs. Taxation

2009-03-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

TITHING VS. TAXATION

The purpose of this essay is to assess the difference between taxation by governments, and the Lord's law of tithing as implemented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The essay mainly focuses upon the erroneous, and inappropriate system of taxation currently existent in the United States of America in reference to both just principles and evident effects of such adulteration of constitutional statutes. The arguments presented are in response to a current debate taking place in a Sociology class at BYU which you can visit and contribute to at http://themsociologists.blogspot.com/.

THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Lance, you proposed “ that by being citizens of a country, don’t we implicitly consent to allow the government the power to spend money where it thinks is best?” What a frightening thought! Couldn’t a similar argument be made for an individual’s consent to any policy or action of Government? Does my citizenship, which is largely an accident of my birth, imply that I somehow consent to the decision of Roe vs. Wade, to unjustified war, or to the many gross iniquities which have resulted from abuses by Government? Did those living in Nazi Germany implicitly consent to allow the government to do what it felt was best?

It was Thomas Jefferson who stated in the Declaration of Independence that Government derives “its just powers from the consent of the governed.” President Ezra Taft Benson argued that the government therefore, “becomes primarily a mechanism for defense against bodily harm, theft and involuntary servitude. It cannot claim the power to redistribute the wealth or force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity against their will. Government is created by man. No man possesses such power to delegate. The creature cannot exceed the creator. “ The very basic fact of the matter is, the Government does not have the right to exercise any power that any individual member of society does not have the ability to exercise in the absence of government.

The economist Frederic Bastiat explained this premise for the proper role and justification for the existence of governments when he declared,

"Each of us has a natural right - from God - to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?

If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly. Thus the principle of collective right --its reason for existing, its lawfulness -- is based on individual right (The Law, p.6).”

One would not be reluctant to accept the premise that if an individual holds his neighbor at gunpoint and demands he surrender a portion of his income, he would be promptly arrested as a criminal, regardless of the nobility of his promise to use the loot to help others. However, we quickly disregard such principles in defending the exorbitant activities of Government, a group of people in theory “hired” by “we the people”, whose greatest and most just responsibility is to protect the very wealth they “legally plunder.”

I believe the illustrative observation of William Graham Sumner relates this sociological issue to that of liberty most effectively. He said,:

The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C’s interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the forgotten man … They therefore ignore the entire source from which they must draw all the energy which they employ in their remedies, and they ignore all the effects on other members of society than the ones they have in view. They are always under the dominion of the superstition of Government, and forgetting that a government produces nothing at all, they leave out of sight the first fact to remembered in all social discussion- that the state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from another man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.

Taxation is inseparable from mandatory labor. Who would argue that it is ethical, moral, or just for the Government to demand its citizens work approximately one third of the year for foreign countries in need, or to pay someone else’s medical bills, or to subsidize someone else’s mortgage payment? Taxation is the vehicle through which Government forces unpaid labor, for the income of any individual is a direct result and fruit of their own personal labor.

In contrast to the source of Government’s powers, God does not derive his just powers from the consent of His children, but is Himself the supreme author of the “inalienable rights” of man. In pertaining to His Kingdom, He does not govern His children through compulsory means. His children are indeed “free to act, and not to be acted upon.” Tithing is not paid at gunpoint or with threat of legal litigation. Tithing is paid by the individual freely. It was President Gordon B. Hinckley who declared that, “We do not pay tithing with money. We pay tithing with faith.” Our analysis of the resultant effects of tithing ought not to merely focused upon the collective Church and the transparency of the allocation of such sacred funds, but rather on the sacred impact that tithing has upon the individual. What profit does paying tithing have for the individual who’s central motive in willingly imparting of their substance is wonderment concerning what they will get in return? How much greater is the blessing to the individual who voluntarily gives a tenth of their increase because they love their God, and wants to return a small portion of that which God has given them for the benefit and building of His Kingdom?

A similar argument may be made for minimizing the ever increasing taxation of government. Such activity has engendered an attitude of demanding something for nothing. Seldom if any citizens think to themselves while filing their taxes, “Wow. I am so glad the Government is making me help my neighbors out.” Far more will grudgingly wonder, “What will I get in return for what I am being forced to give?” How much greater is the concept of an individual actually becoming a better individual because they wish to help others of their own volition and free enterprise? Excessive government taxation does not make people “good”, but conversely robs them of the decision to do good.

“The world works from the outside in, Christ works from the inside out. The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

Could the same approach of the Gospel of Jesus Christ also be the best course for Government to pursue? Ought we to work from the inside out, rather than the outside in? Ought we to honor the personal liberty of the individual, rather than the outward might of Big Brother? Surely the argument may be made by many that if left to individuals, the naked will go unclothed, and the hungry unfed? However, if this were to happen, it would at least be the fault and responsibility of the people directly and not the fault of an out of control government elected by them. I for one, feel a personal responsibility to serve those in need, without being told to by the Government. I do not believe I am alone in expressing this sentiment.

THE EFFICACY OF TAXATION AS A VEHICLE TO SOCIETAL PROGRESS

Now that we have analyzed the principles, let’s analyze the resultant policies and their efficacy. Lance, you made the argument that individuals are not necessarily charitable by nature. However, a valid argument could be made that people would be more charitable if a third or more of their income wasn’t being taken from them in the name of Government charity. If all government programs were suddenly eliminated, how would you respond? Would you be more or less likely to volunteer at a homeless shelter? Would you be more or less likely to help a sick relative or neighbor pay their medical bills? Would you be more likely to serve others? We aren’t doing these things already because we have been sucked into the destructive logic of a welfare state – that it is someone else’s responsibility – the government. Is this really how much we think of our own personal responsibility as human beings?

Individuals would not have to match the Government funds lost through reduced taxation dollar for dollar, because the private sector is far more effective than the public sector. As much as 70% of welfare budgets have been eaten up by bureaucracy. I am confident that this contrasts with minimal, if any overhead in the processing of tithing funds. Government funded businesses are not as effective as private enterprises because failure often results in the Government giving the program or organization more money to save them from their own negligent extinction. Private individuals have statistically shown a greater and more efficient propensity to serve others than the Government.

For example, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), an institution created in 1965, received about $ 121 million in government funds for the NEA in 2006, while private donations to the arts totaled $ 2.5 billion. Private donations from Americans to impoverished individuals in lesser developed countries has been estimated to exceed those by the Government by 3 times. The advent of tax funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare have replaced a health care system that was once the envy of the world, in which pro bono services were given routinely by Doctors, with a highly regulated, and often unaffordable system which now prohibits Doctors from such charitable acts. New York City’s public schools , which educate the majority of the city’s youth is run by 6,000 bureaucrats, while the private Archdiocese of NY, which educates one fifth of the kids in New York City is run by only 26 individuals. The point that I am trying to make with this long laundry list of examples is this: Freedom works! We don’t need to mandate people to do good when it comes to every little need of society. Society is better served through voluntary charity than congested government programs.

Lance, you also made the argument in response to Jeff that we can find where our taxes are being spent if we look hard enough. I’m not so sure about that. Have you ever tried to discover where the government debt ultimately being paid to the federal reserve directly goes to? Furthermore, we currently pay about $1.4 billion a day in interest on the federal debt as Americans. We certainly get nothing for that money. Well, I guess we do get the twisted pleasure of sustaining a Government that is acting without fiscal responsibility. Reduction of taxes ought not to be viewed as a radical concept. In order to completely eradicate the income tax for example, we would have to do nothing more than return our budget to the same spending level exercised by the government all the way back in 1997. Scary thought huh?

The interesting thing about this whole discussion is that it has been based largely upon the premise that taxation helps the poor and needy more than it helps the wealthy. Basic economic theory would point to the fact that excessive government spending often correlates with excessive printing of money, which in turn leads to inflation. Inflation disproportionately has a greater impact on the impoverished than it does on the wealthy. In addition to this fact, many big businesses have been propped up by Government and have supported taxation and regulatory policy that would crush their competitors. Lobbying groups that are most successful in Washington are not often the ones with the greatest cause, but the greatest money.

Finally, the good of society, from an economic perspective, is largely a result of capital output per person. Some mistakenly look to recent American history and attribute a greater poverty level decades ago to a lack of government regulation. However, the bottom line is we didn’t have the capital output that we have today. Public policy can do nothing to bolster economic capacity. Compared to today, the American economy had little capital. According to Dr. Ron Paul,

The only way to increase everyone’s standard of living is by increasing the amount of capital per worker. Additional capital makes workers more productive, which means they can produce more goods than before. When our economy becomes physically capable of producing vastly more goods, their abundance makes them more affordable in terms of dollars. Soaking the rich works for only so long: the rich eventually wise up and decide to hide their income, move away, or stop working so much. But investing in capital makes everyone better off … it is foolish to levy taxes along any step of this process, because doing so sabotages the only way wealth can be created for everyone.

Where is the excessive overhead in tithing? When is the individual tithe payer paying interest on the debt of the Church? When is the payment of tithing mandated by force, or required by compulsory means? Does tithing have any potential negative side effects upon the poor? Is God’s right to command that His covenant children pay tithing different in nature than the right of the Government to take our substance from us by compulsion, a right which no individual member of society possesses? Can any argument be made that tithing funds are not used as effectively as possible, even with divine guidance? The Lord’s eternal system of Tithing is far different both in principle and in outcome, than America’s current corrupt and inefficient system of taxation.

The Face of A Dream

2009-03-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Face of A Dream
By
Joshua C. Merris

Like the sun ablaze at noonday which warms each heart with light
There is in every man, an ember soft yet bright
A power deep within, to rise above what nature deems
Upon his hopes and wishes, is a face on every dream

Some men dream of riches, others seek for power
Such will fade away, like the wilting of a flower
But the face upon a dream, will smile evermore
For eternity exists in man, at the center of his core

If men forget their brother, and treat him with disdain
Their dreams will be forgotten, their hope will be in vain
They truly give no heed, in their heart they make no place
Their dream will fall in darkness, a dream without a face

2009-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

What Will Save America?
President Abraham Lincoln once said these inspiring, and strikingly applicable words,
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves… Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!—All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

It has been said that the people largely get the Government they deserve. I agree with this sentiment, for even Lucifer himself, assembled with all of the mighty hosts of hell would have no power over us if we did not surrender it to him. In egotism and pride, we have largely forgotten that our strength is not in the greatness of our armies, but the greatness of our hearts. We are quick to blame our leaders and elected officials, but slow to honestly evaluate "we the people" who elected them. We have become quick to point to any who question the constitutionality and true motivations of corrupt leaders and factions as irrational conspiracy theorists. However, in the pride of our hearts, we dangerously ignore conspiracy fact.

If America is to be saved from the downward sliding slope of destruction, it will not be a result of some political think tank, the Republicans, or Democrats. It will be because we as a people, stand up and say "no more!" It will be because we begin to think more about the welfare of others than we do of ourselves. It will be because the Government, which derives its power from the consent of the governed, will be denied abuses of power by the American people collectively.

May we remember the source from which our freedoms, rights, and liberties emanate. May we recall that each and every human being is endowed with certain inalienable rights from their Creator, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The proper role of limited government is to protect these rights which are inalienably ours. Nowhere in the Constitution or Declaration do we find the role of Government entails granting or giving us rights. God is the source of such rights, and if we turn from believing in absolutes and eternal truths, the Government will and has assumed that role. To accept the premise that Government gives us rights is to accept the premise that Government can take such rights away.

May we be quick to remember the responsibility that is ours to serve and help our fellowman. Who are we really helping when people are stripped of their private property at the whims of Congress? The Government does not make people good. How many Americans at tax time think to themselves, "Wow, I am really helping my starving neighbor out today by filing my taxes. I am so grateful the Government is forcing me to give up a third of my income so that my neighbors can get some fraction of the money I am paying in taxes?" A good society comes from within, not from without. If Government forces us to choose to surrender such a substantial portion of our money, they have robbed us of the choice and the means to be good. Government appropriately derives its power from the consent of the Governed, and therefore cannot excercise any power which is not possessed by an individual member of society. What man has a right to strip their neighbor of his hard earned income, regardless of the allure of his promised agenda?

How much greater we would be as a people if out of love and compassion rather than compulsion, we reached out to those in need because it is the right thing to do. What is more, it is not a new concept to any economically minded individual that government programs, however good their intention, are rewarded for failure. As opposed to the private sector, running such subsidized nationalist businesses do not fail as a result of ineffective management, but are subsidized more. Such subsidies find their basis in taxation, a gross portion of the Americans' incomes who they intend to help with such programs. The private sector can work and will work more effectively if we as Americans recognize a need to serve others. Furthermore, the result will be that we choose to be good, rather than the paradoxical requirements and burdens placed on us by the Government to mandate such behavior. Many Americans would be suprised to learn for example, that private donations by the American people to help developing, impoverished nations of the world are three times as great as those given by the Government.

People are only as free as they are personally responsible. Think of the power that one surrenders when they incessantly rely on some party for their sustenance. How easily persuaded is the man who is driven to do or surrender whatever he must to another to receive his daily bread. When Government becomes the means through which we subsist, man becomes slave, and Government becomes master.

Finally, may we base policy upon true principles, which may be readily discovered through a careful examination of the inspired Constituion of the United States of America. Policy must become the pillars upon which we build our nation. Such pillars will be supported by the American people, or else the edifice of our greatness will crumble to the earth. May we realize that we as a nation cannot force people to be free, we cannot discriminate to end discrimination, and we cannot assume or excercise rights without accepting and establishing responsibility for our actions. Policy without principle, is like being without feeling.

And so I stand with Lincoln, in inviting you my dear friends, to carefully consider what has made our nation great and to humbly recognize the impending forces which threaten its destruction. Our hope is not in government programs our bailouts, but in the good of humanity and those willing to help out. I believe in the American people. I believe there is still so much good in the world today. I believe that we as a people are still good at heart. I invite you to awaken to a sense of your awful situation, that we may not stand divided as Republicans and Democrats, but unite as Americans under God. May our unification stem from the banner which we wave triumphantly and invitingly to all the world, even the Constitution, a heavenly banner.

We Seek After These Things

2009-01-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

We Seek After These Things

Joshua Merris

Within the chasms of each man’s soul, a yearning lies within

That reaches for the highest heights, and sneers at sight of sin

Amidst a world of pain and doubt, where melancholy reigns

We find a voice which beckons us and comforts us in pain

We need not look to presidents, to kings, or magistrates

For the power is within us to drain the world of hate

Just as the Sun at noonday, we’re guided by the light

Which calls to saint and sinner to press on through darkest nights

Though many masters call to us, we know by whom we’re called

The Master whom we seek to serve is greater than us all

By Him, the light divided from the damper dark abyss

In Him we must place our trust, for He will not lead amiss

In the path He walked before us, we find hope, and perfect love

In vibrant faith we’ll walk with Him and cry to Him above

That spotless in that perfect day, we’ll greet the King of Kings

We’ll welcome Him who died for us, who triumphed o’er death’s sting

In His presence, our knees will bend, our feeble tongues confess

His holy name, Jesus the Christ, who bled in awfulness

Reunion sweet, can mortal man, begin to comprehend?

What rapture will fill each bosom, as we greet our truest friend

We long for that Heavenly home, where saints and angels sing

For this, and for the good of man, we seek after these things

He Thought of You

2008-10-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is a poem that I wrote while I was a "greeny" missionary in Twin Falls, Idaho. For whatever reason, I have felt inspired to post it on my blog. I hope that it may be of meaning or help to someone.

He Thought of You
By
Elder J. Merris

His fists clenched in agony of the pain He sought to bare
Perhaps He saw your face and mine, as He bled and suffered there
He looked at you and pondered, if your soul was worth it all
The blood which drenched His garments, in bitterness and gall
But He rejoiced at the thought of you and all that you are worth
He thought of the chasms you could not cross without Him on this earth
He called upon the Father with perfect love unfeigned
But He knelt alone that night, when His blood dripped like drops of rain

As He stumbled through the streets, scorned by thoughtless men
He lifted his own cross, and thought of you again
There was love in His eyes as nails pierced His gentle flesh
He thought of you and all mankind, and how you would be blessed
Amidst the hostile crowds, He knew each person too
And said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."
He could have stopped it all as He hung there on that day
But then He thought of you, and the pains you feel today

He departed from His body, to Heaven up above
Perhaps he met you face to face, and embraced you with His love
And yet we often wonder, and sometimes we forget
The mercy that was wrought for us, so that our needs could be met
And do we always remember Him in moments of despair
The way He thought of each us and that love which we felt there
At the thought of us, He paid the price, that we may live again
And so each day I'll think of Him, the Savior of all men

GRACE

2008-10-10T23:44:00.001-07:00

I have given much thought recently to the topic of grace. I feel that it is perhaps the most under appreciated and perhaps more appropriately, misunderstood doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This morning, I studied the topic in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and found some remarkable and significant teachings regarding this subject. As grateful as I am for revelation received and knowledge ascertained during this time of intent study, I am significantly more grateful for a subsequent experience, which though seemingly insignificant, was in fact a blessing from the Lord in teaching me more about grace than I ever could have learned by reading words on paper alone.
I was late to campus as usual and had little time before University Chorale, a class whose grade is completely contingent on attendance, to grab some lunch. I was standing in the line at Tomassito's when I noticed in front of me a boy who was physically handicapped, yet seemed to posess all other faculties aside from the use of his body. I watched him as he struggled to communicate what it was he wanted, and then, in humiliation grabbed his tray only to spill his food. I was moved by his intent perseverance. My heart was touched as I witnessed this young man, inwardly capable of so much, struggle to make his body work. Despite his very best effort, the task at hand was simply too much for him to complete alone.
Moved by his sincere, yet failing effort, I volunteered to carry his tray for him. I grabbed a fork for him and carried his tray to where he would sit. He expressed gratitude for the help rendered, yet I had greater reason to be grateful in expression of how he had helped me. I felt as if I were walking on sacred ground as I said goodbye to my new friend.
I do not share this story to bring undue attention to myself, for I merely did what ought to have been done. I share it to point to Him who is greatest of all, the Savior and Redeemer of all the world, even Jesus Christ. I can picture a loving Savior and Friend, perfect in every way imaginable to us, watching each of us struggle in our imperfections. He watches with love as we give all that we can, yet continually come short of all that our inner divine potential would allow. He does not acknowledge or tell us of our weakness because he wishes to make us feel inferior or unable, but because he wishes for us to realize that we are not alone and can do all things with His power. I can picture Him walking by our side, lifting us as we fall, stabilizing us when we struggle, and wiping our tears when it seems that all hope is lost. It is in this way that grace is not merely a power, but an event. Grace is the means by which Christ enables us to walk with Him and eventually to walk like Him. It is a power which can only be fully appreciated by those who have given their all, allowing Christ to justly intercede as if to say of our futile but sincere efforts, "it is enough." It is through grace that we come to know the Savior, and ultimately learn to become like Him.
I testify that Jesus' empathy is indeed earned. He descended below all things that He might justly receive the right and power from the Father to lift us above all things. He has given us something better - a sphere of light and understanding which the world cannot give, nor take away. He is my Savior, my Lord, and my King. Above all, He stands ready to receive us with open arms as we are willing to receive Him, and pay the price of all that we are, in honoring all that He gave. He paid a terrible price for every person that we will ever know. He paid an infinite price with His own blood, because we are of infinite worth. It is my hope that we may stand with Him by lifting those around us with love in our hearts. It is my sincere testimony that we will come to know him more greatly from helping others than we ever could by helping ourselves.

Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Chuck Norris for President

2008-09-12T14:46:00.001-07:00

I am a little disenchanted with the election this year. I have never bought into the "lesser of two evils" argument that so many seem to readily accept and even advocate. That is why I am going to use my vote as wisely as possible and vote for Chuck Norris. You may think that seems a little radical or crazy, but you won't feel that way after you read my top ten personal reasons that I will be voting for Chuck Norris come this November. Let's start a revolution. Vote for Chuck Norris:

10) Chuck Norris' isn't afraid of weapons of mass destruction. Chuck Norris is a weapon of mass destruction.
9) Chuck Norris is pro-choice - make the choice to get an abortion and he will make the choice to give you a roundhouse kick to the face.
8) Chuck Norris supports the death penalty and enforces it with his fists on a regular basis.
7) The energy crisis would be over - Chuck can power his car for days on a pint of his own urine.
6) Chuck Norris' foreign policy is simple and cost effective. That's because Chuck could easily kick the head off of any foreign leader with one roundhouse kick to the face.
5) Chuck Norris believes in the right to carry concealed weapons. After all, he does everyday just by wearing pants.
4) Chuck Norris doesn't believe that evolution should be taught in schools. That's because natural selection is predicated upon which living creatures Chuck decides to let live.
3) If Chuck Norris were elected president, we could immediately withdraw all of our troops and send Chuck to the middle east to end the war with a few roundhouse kicks to the face.
2) Chuck Norris doesn't need a running mate. His shadow is smarter, quicker, and better looking than Joe Biden or Sarah Palin.
1) John McCain is old. Chuck Norris doesn't get older, he just gets stronger.

A Longing for Home

2008-09-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, after realizing that I hadn't written anything for over a month now, I decided I ought to take some time and express some of the feelings I have had recently about life.
I felt impressed yesterday that within every human soul is a longing for our Heavenly Home. Even to the atheist, there is inevitably a longing for something deep within, something that the world cannot give or take away. It is this longing which governs our thoughts, our actions, and our greatest desires. In this life, there seems to be moments in which we become better acquainted with that which we are longing for. They are moments when the divine is within reach, and we realize that we are not feeling something new, but remembering that which we always knew. Even before our glorious reuniting with Heavenly parents and angelic hosts, we may in awesome wonder, consider and taste of that wondrous celestial state even while abiding on a telestial earth.
Can any comprehend what it would be like for one who has been blind to suddenly gaze upon the beauty of a sunset, or to view with awesome grandeur the colors of spring? Can any begin to fathom what feelings and rapture would fill the heart of one who was once deaf and suddenly given power to hear the vibrant sounds of heavenly symphonies or to listen to the melodic sound of a bird? Yet, in seeking to comprehend the grandeur of such, we may only begin to understand what it will be like for each of us to one day return to Father's loving arms. "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known (1 Cor 13:12)." I long for home.

Stepping Stones

2008-08-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

"... deep down in our quiet reflective moments of oneness with Divinity, we know there is no outside force that can steal away our spiritual strength. Every event, every encounter, every disaster, however despairing it may seem to the outward eye, may be met with spiritual success. A temporal tragedy need never result in a spiritual defeat. To the contrary, such "tragedies" have often proven the springboard for a sublime spiritual victory. One man accepts his deafness by excoriating God; another, Beethoven, scores the Ninth Symphony. One woman with loss of sight sees only darkness; another with greater vision, Helen Keller,becomes a beacon to a blinded world. One man responds to his disease with loss of faith; another, Job, declares,"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him (Job 13:15)."One man loses his wife and in the process his zest for life; another, Robert Browning, draws ever deeper from the well to pen with compelling passion poetry of divine dimensions. One man may respond to the seemingly disastrous events of life with vengeance and venom; another may respond with humble submissiveness to God's will, an appreciation for life as it is, and a firm resolve to be better. For one, lifes challenges and tragedies become stumbling blocks; for the other, they become stepping stones." - Tad Callister
I feel that in life, I have been anxious to climb to the highest heights of the greatest mountains, but have often found discomfort in the sweat which has lined my brow and the thorns which have pierced my reaching hands on my quest there. Yet, in quiet moments, I find that the journey is what shapes my destination. It is the pain, not the peace, of the climb which beckons me on. In life, it is the blood, and sweat, and tears that make us. "The greater the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly." - Thomas Paine
It has been said that great battles do not make great men - great men make great battles. In looking to the future, I have learned that I decide my destiny. I am the maker of my dreams, and no longer seek to rely on others to make them for me. Let the battles begin.

A Cry for Help

2008-07-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed with some wonderful opportunities to serve others this past week. It has been my experience that I learn more through seeking to help others than I ever could by seeking to help myself. Service is the vehicle through which we come to know Christ in ways that intellect cannot grasp. It is how we come to know his nature and character, "For how knoweth a man the Master whom He has not served and who is a stranger unto Him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" It follows that one understand that to serve another is to serve the Master, for as He has declared, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
This past week, I have had the opportunity to help several people, both close to me and some I have never known. Each of them, despite their various situations, needs, and yearnings, seem to share one commonality, they all seemed to cry out for help, and through the blessings of the Holy Spirit, I was given the opportunity and privilege to help each of them.
I was leaving Wal-Mart late one night this past week with a phone glued to my ear, when a woman called out to me "Sir! Sir! Can you help us?" I ended my call and asked her what was wrong. Then, with a desparation that touched my heart, she explained that her grandmother was very sick with a heart illness, and that they were unable to purchase her prescribed medication because they had no money. Her voice was filled with worry and panic as she explained that her grandmother could have a heart attack if she didn't get the medicine soon. I looked to a dear sweet elderly woman sitting in the car with an oxygen mask, and my heart was filled with a pure compassion toward them. I reached for my wallet and explained that I had little to give because of my own financial situation, but gave all that I had, which brought us to $10 short of what was needed. I asked how long they had been asking for donations, and she replied that they had been there for more than an hour and had received nothing. I expressed that I wished I could do more and then felt great satisfaction as I realized that I could. I turned to them and said, "Well, I'm a salesman." I then collected the remaining money in about five minutes. It was interesting that I could tell before I asked someone if they would donate or not. Anyhow, as I brought them the last donation to pay for the prescription, the granddaughter gave me a big hug, and then, her grandmother struggled to open their van door and with great emotion gave me a hug in expression of her gratitude. Experiencing true happiness, I walked away with a greater understanding and appreciation of our Savior's love.
This experience was one of many that I have been blessed with in serving others in recent days. I do not share them in seeking recognition, but rather in humble recognition of the wonder and majesty of God's love which He allows each of us to experience as we seek to serve him by serving others. Of all that I have done, of any accomplishment or endeavor of which I have had success, the greatest joy that I have known has had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with reaching out and lifting others. I have learned through these experiences, that both our Father and Heaven, and His Beloved Son, recognize, and comprehend with an infinite understanding a cry for help. I think of Jesus as He lay prostrate in the Garden, and pled with His Father, "If thou be willing, remove this cup from Me." A Son in unrelieved stress, a Father filled with compassion, stayed the course, and made it through the night together. And then, those most heart wrenching words ever uttered by mortal man, were exclaimed by the Savior on Golgotha, "Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachteni! - That is to say, My God, My God, why hast though forsaken me?!" The Father did not answer His sinless son's request for help, because He was in that moment, answering the desparate cries for help that man had or would ever utter. This act, accomplished by both the Father and the Son, must serve as the paragon to which each of us must look as we seek to learn of that love which never dies, even that love which passes all understanding. They know when their children need help, and they will bless us with the opportunity to come to know them, their true character, as we respond to the gentle promptings and whisperings of the Spirit, to help those that we come in contact with. I saw that need in the eyes of one I had never known in this life, standing outside the doors of Wal-Mart. I felt that joy, and seek to feel it forever more as I devote my time and talents to serving those around me.

LIVING THE DREAM

2008-06-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Life has definitely been an adventure as of late. As unsure as I am of so many things, I feel great peace and hope that everything will turn out well. It seems that part of our mortal experience is to gain an awareness of how aware God really is of each of us. Just yesterday I wrote a check to pay my tithing even though it is pretty inconvenient at this time. Today, I received notification that I had just received a full scholarship at BYU for the coming year. It's funny, or more appropriately, miraculous how that works.
So right now I am working for a financial fitness center that just opened in Provo called Charted Course. I am really excited to get in at the ground level and anticipate that it will really take off pretty soon as our product is just beginning to hit the market. However, in the meantime, I am looking for a part time job. I'm thinking of applying to the Malt Shoppe on a part time basis. Even though the pay would stink, I think it would be a lot of fun and I could probably score some free food as well. I could also bring back the Malt Shoppe dance parties like we used to have last semester. For those who haven't been there, the Malt Shoppe is kickin' it old school style and has a sweet jukebox. My bro and I decide one night to start randomly dancing in the middle of the place. Then some girls who were there randomly joined in. From that moment on, we started having random Malt Shoppe Dance Parties! It is definitely a tradition which must continue.
Well, that's about all I've got for today. Gotta go live the dream!

What Shall It Profit a Man?

2008-06-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Well, life has been eventful to say the least. I kind of feel that since returning home from my mission, I have been tossed into a roaring tornado that has sporadically dumped me in a place which remains foreign to me. I'm just beginning to face the realization that I am not in Kansas anymore.
Change is certainly the stimuli to progress and evolution as a human being. It is difficult to embrace because it always foreign. It is uncomfortable because it is seldom expected. It is profitable because it is only by doing something new that we are able to become something newer, with an increased awareness of who we really are, and who we really have the power to become.
I have faced more challenges and obstacles in the past few weeks than perhaps in any other comparable period of my life. In such moments, it is very easy for the cynic within to flourish, and though I have at times been infected with the parasite of pessimism, I believe that I have learned in recent moments of contemplation that I ought to embrace that which surrounds me as a necessary means of growth and sustainance. It is in darkness that light shines most brilliantly. It is through glasses which yield an image which is blurred most close to us, that those things which lie further ahead are seen most clearly.
I have learned in recent moments of the reality of my dreams. Rather than letting go of them amidst constant difficulties and the turmoil of unforseeable chaos, I am holding to them more firmly than ever before. It is my love for others that gives me power to keep them and sustain them. No amount of money or worldly prestige can buy them or destroy them. "For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world but lose his own soul?"

Jesus the Christ

2008-06-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

The following is the final testimony that I gave as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding my personal conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world:

JESUS THE CHRIST

Elder Joshua C. Merris

Introduction
Elders and Sisters, it will now be my opportunity and privilege to bear to you my testimony and witness of the Master whom I have served and love more than life itself. In so doing, I humbly recognize that my weak words are not capable of conveying the absolute wonder of His matchless love, nor the mighty power of His healing touch. Yet as one called to represent Him, I invoke the inspiration of the Almighty to enlighten our minds, that together, the eyes of our understanding may be opened.1 I plead for the guidance of the Holy Ghost as I speak in quiet reverence of Jesus the Christ, and that "redemption [which] cometh in and through the Holy Messiah."2

Christ's Foreordination and Birth
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."3 Long before His mortal birth to Mary, Jesus was Jehovah, the giver of God's word and law. He was God's "beloved and chosen from the beginning"4,"who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you [and for me and for all that you will ever know]."5
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."6

The Mortal Ministry of Christ
Born into a lowly manger, the Son of Man, the greatest of all, lay helplessly wrapped in swaddling clothes. Perhaps His chosen mother Mary did not yet fully realize, that the child she held safely in her arms would one day save her. And she would "call his name JESUS: for he [would] save his people from their sins."7 As a blazing light amidst agents of Apostasy, He would grow up before the Father as a "tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground."8 At the age of 12, the boy Jesus would be found conversing with the learned men in the temple as he went about His Father's business.9 And so began the beautiful mortal ministry of our beautiful beloved Savior. "Though sinless, He was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness."10 He "went about doing good"11, yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come."12
None can fully comprehend the wonder of His life and the absolute miracle of His ministry among men. None can fully understand the innate and unending love, which guided His every footstep and motivated his every gesture of kindness. Perhaps C.S. Lewis said it best when he declared, "I believe in Christ as I believe in the Sun at noonday, not that I can see it, but that by it, I can see everything else."13 Only He who is the "light and life of the world"14 can illuminate the understanding of everyone, everywhere in discovering their divine nature and potential. As our perfect exemplar and friend, His invitation to each of us is to come unto Him15, to follow Him16, and to walk with Him17. He knows the way simply because He is the "way, the truth, and the life."18 By coming to "the knowledge of the Son of God", even the natural man may "come unto a perfect man."19

Despised and Rejected of Men
From the moment of His birth in Bethlehem, when there was no room for Him in the inn, to His glorious escape from Joseph's tomb, the "Son of Man [had] not where to lay His head."20 "He came unto His own and His own received Him not."21 Indeed, He was and is a "light [which] shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."22 "Despised and rejected of men"23, the Son of Man had no mortal friend to turn to for empathy or counsel. Surely the Savior had stalwart disciples who followed Him, but He would tread the winepress alone .24 The victory over sin, the conquering of the sting of death and Hell was not to be won by some collaborative team effort. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a one man mission, inaugurated by the selfless, sacrificial words of the Savior, "Here am I, send me."25

The Father and the Son
Yet, had there not been a loving Father, there would not have been a loving Son. In every word, in every action, and in every thought, Christ sought not the glory of the world or of men, but to glorify God, the Father of both His body and spirit. Amidst the constant mocking of man, nothing could break His confidence in His Father. "For I came not down from Heaven to do mine own will," he declared - "but the will of Him that sent me."26 In perfect uprightness and obedience, the "Son ... [did] ... nothing of Himself, but what He [saw] the Father do."27 And then in that darkest hour, Christ sought Him whom he had always sought. "Abba, Father," he cried, "all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me."28 But it was not possible. And so in sublime submissiveness, Jesus embodied the rescuing power of humility as he exclaimed, "nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done!"29

Jesus in Gethsemane
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the crushing weight of the world's woes and iniquities rested upon the Savior's shoulders. There "appeared an angel from Heaven strengthening Him"30, yet the angel did not relieve Him of His pain or share the infinite and massive load which caused himself "even God the greatest of all to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore" as he " ...suffered both body and Spirit."31 The strain was so terrible, and the struggle so severe, that the Savior "being in an agony prayed more earnestly and He sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."32
The very name of the place, "Gethsemane" is derived from the Hebrew words "get" or "gat", meaning "press", and "shemen" meaning oil. Jesus Christ's suffering for sin began in the garden of the oil press. As Truman G. Madsen explains, "To produce olive oil, the refined olives had to be crushed in a press. The mellowed and seasoned olives were placed in strong bags and flattened on a furrowed stone. Then a huge crushing circular rock was rolled around on top, paced by a mule or an ox and a stinging whip. Another method used heavy wooden leavers or screws twisting beams downward like a winch upon the stone with the same effect: pressure, pressure, pressure - until the oil flowed."33
But it was not oil which flowed from His every pore. It was life giving blood which fell to the ground as rain. He Himself had taught the children of Israel that "... the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."34 With the earth as His alter, Jesus fell foward upon His face35 as he gave more than any man could give. True it is that He would yet lay down his mortal life that He might take it again36, but it was there in Gethsemane that the Savior began to give the life of his soul as he struggled to utilize every muscle, but more importantly all of His heart in answering the demands of justice. Since the days of Adam, animals had been sacrificed in similitude of the Only Begotten as a scapegoat for sin. Yet, in this moment there was no scapegoat to turn to. "There was no ram in the thicket to spare Him, this friend of Abraham and Isaac."37 The moment had come in which justice demanded an infinite and eternal price to be paid, and only Jesus Christ had power to pay the cost. The will of the "Son was swallowed up in the will of the Father" as "the Son made intercession for the children of men" with His blood.38
In these darkest moments, our Beloved Savior took from us the cup of trembling, that we should no more drink it again.39 "Though He never needed it, ... [His pain and suffering] ... provided that perfect plan of progress, repentance."40 The bitter cup of which He partook had no bottom. The burning taste of its caustic contents was unending. Yet, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell observes, "Jesus partook of history's bitterest cup without becoming bitter."41
Alma taught that the Savior "suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon Him the sins of His people"42, meaning that He felt as a man would feel, yet endured as only a God could do. There was no easy escape. There was no antidote to remedy the noxious impact of the bitter cup's bitter poison. The Savior literally felt what all men have felt and walked where all men have walked.

Infinite Yet Intimate
To the mortal mind it is difficult to comprehend how one could suffer infinitely and yet individually in a finite period of time. I have learned that just as the Savior was able to perceive in mortality the faith filled touch of the diseased woman amidst the multitude, He too, amidst His suffering, could in His omniscient capacity, recognize the individual hands of faith which would reach out to Him for needed strength. I believe that in some moment amidst His suffering, He saw your face and mine. I believe that in that instant, no matter how small it may have been, His great love for you and for me caused Him to press on and to stay the course.
Though infinite and eternal, His sacrifice was also intimate and individual. He was "a man of sorrows and aquainted with grief"43 because He was aquainted with you and with me, and with all mankind. The more I have learned of Him, the more I believe that He in His infinite love, would have suffered it all had it been for only one.

Jesus Tried Before Men
As he arose from the pressing pains and mounting agonies of His suffering, he was greeted with scorn and betrayed with a kiss. Judas and the other servants of debauchery led the Son of Righteousness away as a common criminal to be tried by unrighteous men.
The lawmaker was condemned by the Law of which He was author. He who is the Word was derailed by the adulterated skewing of words He had decreed by the mouths of those holy prophets whom He had called.

Jesus the Master of Self Mastery
He was then brutally beaten - beaten with forty stripes save one, the maximum punishment legally given to a transgressor of the law. In divine nobility, the Savior stood as the Master of Self Mastery. "All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made."44 Think on that carefully. After reeds of wrath rained blows upon his aching, quivering back, He was stung and torn by a whip whose woven leather and cutting metals had been created by Him. He who is Lord of the Vineyard, He who was Eden's Gardner and had power with His words to wither a fig tree, had His trembling brow pierced with a plated crown of thorns. "He that formeth the mountains"45, struggled in exasperation to reach the pinnacle of the mount upon which He would give up the Ghost. All things were subject to Him, yet it "behooveth ... [our] ... Great Creater" to subject Himself to those tortuous elements which He Himself had created and had power to govern.46 The manly restraint and self mastery which enabled our omnipotent Savior to withhold His mighty power, that very power through which the "worlds are and were created"47, is beyond mortal comprehension.
I stand all amazed to consider the condescension of God. He who is King of Kings was "brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not His mouth."48 In utter humiliation, Jesus was stripped by a whole band of soldiers and dressed in a scarlet robe. Legions of Heavenly warriors could rescue Him. By His own mouth, the Master who had stilled the tempest with three words could have ended all conflict and chaos with a simple command. Though "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, ... he opened not his mouth."49
"And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews."50 Little did they know, that this would not be the only time that their knee should bow before the King they derailed. Little did they know, that their filthy, venomous tongues would one day be bound to confess the Holy name in absolute deference.
"And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head."51 Their foul saliva ran down His beautiful face. He whose hand had spanned the Heavens and all that in them are52, did not so much as lift his hand in defense. He literally followed his own teaching to "turn the other cheek."53

The Crucifixion of Christ
"And after they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify Him."54
"And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in [the] Hebrew Golgotha."55
"Crucify Him!" they had cried with evil malice. "Crucify Him!"56 Even after their evil request had been granted, these evil fiends could not satisfy their sickened hearts of hate. President Spencer W. Kimball laments, "Even a bull tires of goring its victim - even a cat tires of playing with its captive mouse, but these tyrants, these bloodthirsty men - would they never tire of blasphemous conduct? Would they never get their fill? How low can the children of God go! How base can man become! - he who may be a little lower than the angels, he who is created in the image of God. What would they do when their victim could suffer no more and no more please their depravity? They would have his sore and bruised and bloody body carry the weighty implement of his own death."57
Love filled the Savior's heart as he looked upon the Roman soldiers who would drive spikes of iron in a merciless manner through his tender, loving hands. That pure love would later be vocalized as He pled for His persecutors in crying, "Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do."58
As He hung upon the cross, it seems that the merciless pains and agonies of Gethsemane recurred. "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"59
One may wonder why it is that the Savior again endured the merciless agonies He had already overcome in the Garden. Could it be that the Savior would now know how to "succor" both the lost and the found, the wicked and the righteous, the reliant and rebellious. In Gethsemane He was strengthened by an angel but on Golgotha He would know how it felt to be utterly forsaken and to suffer the consequences of sin without God's influence to guide. Perhaps amidst such grave wickedness and sin, the Spirit manifesting God's presence not only chose to withdrawl but was bound to depart the encompassing darkness. Perhaps it was then that the Savior would learn perfectly through experience how to "draw all men unto Him."60 No man could say they had gone too far to be reclaimed, for the Savior had been to the uttermost ends of sin's darkest lonesome boundaries. Even if one did not remember Him, He would always remember them, for no matter how far they wandered, they were always within the Good Shepherd's grasp of understanding.
Then when all had been fulfilled, He declared in triumph, "It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost."61 Though only Christ had power to lay down His life62, Elder James E. Talmage notes, ".. there was of necessity a direct physical cause of dissolution ... the strong loud utterance immediately following which he bowed His head and "gave up the ghost" when considered in connection with other recorded details points to a physical rupture of the heart as the direct cause of death ... Great mental stress, poignant emotion either of grief or joy, and intense spiritual struggle are among the recognized causes of heart rupture."63

Christ's Glorious Resurrection
Both literal and symbolic, the Savior's broken heart, broke the bands of death and sin which had plagued the world since the days of Adam. " But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."64 "O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is they victory?"65
Though preceded by death, Christ's glorious resurrection marked the birth of His postmortal ministry in which He would reign and rule on the right hand of the Father as the living Son of the living God.

For God So Loved the World
If men and women everywhere began to understand the undeviating character of Christ, they would be begin to understand our unique message to the world. They would know that "He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up freely for us all, ... with Him will freely give us all things."66
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."67 He did not love part of the world or the world for a time. He that notices the fall of every sparrow68, and knows the lilies of the field69 surely notices and knows all of His children. As "no respecter of persons"70, the resurrected Christ ministered to His other sheep gathered at the land Bountiful. "Jesus Christ [who is] the same yesterday, ... today, and forever"71, does not deny the faithful of today the blessings of yesterday. If men and women everywhere began to comprehend what happened to Jesus the Christ as he knelt in the Garden, they would begin to comprehend what happened to Joseph the Prophet as he knelt in the Grove now called Sacred.

My Final Witness
In closing, I wish to bear pure testimony of Jesus the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In so doing, I wish to recall and reflect upon two defining moments which occurred early in my life. Though personal in nature, I share them with you as they have formed a firm foundation of my love and witness of Christ.
Amidst the earliest memories that my mind is capable of recollecting, is an experience that I had while only three years of age. While playing in our home in Houston, Texas, my older brother accidentally slammed the door on my right hand, severing the tip of my right middle finger. I can still remember being rushed to the hospital as my mother held a clean rag over my bleeding hand. I was rushed into the emergency room, where a surgery was performed upon my hand that was pain wrenching and was known to cause even grown men to faint. In wrenching pain and anguish, my little toddler body held firmly upon the operating table, I began to shout in desperation for one who could save me from my pain. “I want my Mom!” I yelled. When my request was denied, I called for my Dad, and then my Grandmother, and so on. But then, as a three year old boy, I called for one the Doctors had never heard a child plead for. I called upon the help of Jesus Christ.
Years later, as a sixth grade student at Landisville Elementary School, I, like most others of that age, sought for acceptance and friendship from my peers. I seemed to be successful in my efforts to be “popular”, as I had developed respect among my classmates and had many friends. However, there was a young boy named Chris in my class who didn’t have any friends. Chris had been raised by parents that were hardly ever home. He dressed differently than the other boys because he had been left with no choice but to dressed himself his entire life, and struggled socially to find someone to call a friend. The students in our class not only refrained from being Chris’s friends, but many of them indulged in becoming a plaguing nightmare to Chris as they routinely made fun of him at the smallest given opportunity. Their remarks were bitter, their deriding jeers utterly senseless. On one occasion, I remember one of my classmates spitting upon Chris and telling him that he never should have been born.
I along with one other student in the class named Mike became friends to Chris. In the process, my desire to become popular became overshadowed by my desire to become more like Christ. In developing my friendship with Chris, I lost many so called friends. One day, our sixth grade teacher called Mike and I from the room and told us as she failed to hold back tears that Chris had nearly committed suicide but had refrained because of the friendship he had with us. In that moment I learned what it meant to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. In my mind, I developed an awareness of the worth of a soul, and faith in the change that is wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.
I share these experiences with you in no way to point to myself, but to point to Him who is the greatest of all. I share them with you to illustrate that despite my many inadequacies and shortcomings, despite all that I do not know, I have always know that Jesus is the Christ. I've known it since I was a boy. And ever since I was a boy, I have desired to follow Him and to walk with Him. I love Him more than words can tell.
And as pertaining to my mission, in which I have been given the sacred honor of bearing His holy name, I may well say as did the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."72 But as pertaining to my life, I solemnly witness that I will waste and wear out my every effort and energy until I shall kneel at His feet and confess His holy name, even Jesus the very Christ.
I have never been to the place called Gethsemane, but I feel that I have traveled there in spirit dozens of times. And every time that I have stood at the Garden’s gate, wrenching in anguish of the pain which lie ahead, a hand has reached out to me, bearing the nail marks of Calvary’s cross. The Master comes. He always does.
To echo the words of our beloved prophet, "From everlasting to everlasting, He will reign and rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To His dominion there will be no end. To His glory, there will be no light. None other can take His place. None other ever will. Unblemished and without fault of any kind, He is the Lamb of God to whom I bow and through whom I approach my Father in Heaven."73 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.