They Just Call Me "Lazarus" (Part of a Note to an LDS Friend)

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Over the years, I've wondered and wondered about why my life has been preserved so many times.
In addition to past health issues, which should have ended my life at several points in my life (each time I was restored to good health), there have been many other near death experiences.
These include several attempts on my life, one of which I believe was a mafia contract in Indiana that later was retracted.
At the tender age of fourteen in Hagerstown, Maryland, I witnessed my first violent death, a gruesome immolation (fire) suicide by a neighbor.
I also was almost killed a number of times in car accidents, but walked away from every one without hardly a scratch.
Then there also was the time I was in the midst of ghetto racial violence in a Southern city, but, unbeknownst to me at the time, several gang members miraculously interceded to protect me.
In 1996, my home was destroyed by fire, and so on and so forth.
The list goes on and on, and I continue to wonder why my life has been so blessed and protected, especially when so many other, much more righteous people, have their lives end in such pain and suffering.
Of course, I realize that it is not how long we live or even what happens to us in this life that is important.
It is how we deal with and grow from adversity that is the measure of our eternal progression and happiness.
Still, why have I been healed and so protected from so much adversity throughout my life?
In my 1969 Patriarchal Blessing, I was told and promised many (conditional) things, among which was that my "Guardian Angel has charge over (me)", and that "He has watched over (me)..., removed many barriers from (my) way, stumbling blocks from (my) path, and preserved (my) life for a purpose...".
As the years go by, I begin now to see part, but not all, of that purpose, although I can't help but wonder about the rest of my story and how this chapter will end.

Powerful Tears

Earlier today, during our LDS Church Sacrament (worship) services, Sister Kethley shared some incredible counsel as well as her personal testimony, strengthened by her own trials and tribulations.
She apologized for her tears, but those tears were brought forth by the palpable presence of the Holy Ghost.
We all felt it, and we were grateful to share our tears with hers.
Many years ago, Vice President Hubert Humphrey frequently observed that, "A man without tears is a man without heart.".
His political philosophy was and is not mine, but he surely knew about having heart.

Personal Postscript (11/4/08): Sister Kethley's comments about all the times her family has been forced to move, prompted me to realize, for the first time, that I moved eleven times during the ten years that I lived in Indiana.

Tonto & the Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert.
After they gotten their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look toward sky. What you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What that tell you?" asked Tonto.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies, and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.
Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.
Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does it tell you, Tonto?"
Tonto is silent for a moment, then says, "Kemo Sabe, you more dumb than buffalo poop. Someone has stolen tent."

More on "Warring Thoughts"

In my LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) faith, as I understand it, we are required to be obedient to secular political powers, and cannot use our church membership as an excuse to opt out of military service as "conscientious objectors".
Further, the LDS Church does not make any political candidate or political party endorsements, and we do not allow our churches to be used for political purposes, not even to be political polling places.
Nevertheless, we do strongly encourage all LDS members to be anxiously engaged in the civic and poetical activities of their choice. (Former Republican Governor Mitt Romney is LDS, but so is the U.S. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid)
And so it is, when a nation goes to war, the individual soldiers are not held responsible by us for the orders they are given to go to war, although individual decisions which go beyond legitimate orders are very much subject to personal accountability (such as the attrocities committed in Vietnam and elsewhere by individuals).
Those who declare war are ultimately held accountable by the arbiter of all, Our Father in Heaven.
In the instance of the individual choice of abortion, we are taught that this is acceptable only in the case of rape, incest, and extreme danger to the health of the Mother.
However, even then, such decisions are not taken lightly, and these mothers always are encouraged to make this decision with much pondering and personal prayer.
Of course, in the instance of rape and incest, these are special circumstances, because the pregnancy did not result from the free will of the victim.
However, many still have opted to bear the child anyway, either opting to raise the child or place the child in adoption with a another family.
Even in the case of a child who is pre-diagnosed to be born with disabilities, we do not countenance abortion.
We also believe that Jesus Christ is the actual and literal head of our Faith, and that our Prophet is an actual Prophet of God, just as the prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible.
We believe that LDS Church doctrine is not a product of man's ruminations, but truly results from direct and continuing scriptural revelation from God, through His Living Prophet, who has been called by God.
We also believe that each individual has a divinely mandated responsibility to continue to call upon God in personal and heartfelt prayer, in order that they may better understand their relationship with Him and seek His counsel regarding what is personally best for them.
And so it goes with "Man's Search for Happiness".

Warring Thoughts

Just recently, a leader of my faith, Elder Russell M. Nelson (an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), directed my thoughts to further reflection about the tragedy of the effects of two kinds of war.
Wars between nations and terrorism cause much anguish from the loss of many lives and loved ones.
World Wars I & II alone cost of lives of 30 million members of the armed forces (not counting civilian deaths).
The World War on the defenseless and the voiceless results in 40 million abortions each year.