Rivalries and Redemption

~This post is about how the rivalry game between Utah and BYU has gotten out of hand and how impressed I was with how BYU linebacker, Spencer Hadley, handled his suspension. It also discusses how redemption can come to all through the atonement of the Savior.~

This past weekend, my Utes beat the Cougars for the 4th straight time in one of the most heated rivalries in the nation.  As much as I love this rivalry game because of the innocent jabbing that goes on across the aisles at church, I hate it because of the cruel and sometimes despicable things fans can do. This rivalry has brought out the absolute worst in some people, especially this year. There are things on both sides of the rivalry that I'm ashamed happened. I was disgusted as I saw BYU fans throwing garbage at the refs as they walked out of the stadium. No matter the outcome of the game... IT'S JUST A GAME! There is no reason to treat people with such indecency. As much as I was disappointed with the BYU fans throwing garbage, I'm even more disappointed in the fan that sent in the email of BYU linebacker Spencer Hadley partying in Vegas. Some might call this impeccable timing, but I would disagree. I believe that a fan went too far in trying to get one of BYU's best defensive players suspended to give the Utes an edge. In all honesty, I'm glad this rivalry is ending for a few years. Hopefully fans on both side can see how far they've taken their behavior and take it down a couple of notches.

Coming from a Utah fan and someone who definitely dislikes BYU, allow me to spend a few minutes of how impressed I was to hear what Spencer Hadley and Bronco Mendenhall did after his suspension. First off, I don't think BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall is a very good football coach. With him at the helm, BYU will never be an elite team. In all honesty though, I don't think he was meant to be an elite football coach with an elite football team. He was meant to teach these young men who enter the program what it means to be men of the priesthood and exit the program men of God. The sports program at BYU was meant to be a missionary program, not necessarily win national championships.

Courtesy of the Hadley Family via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

According to a Sports Illustrated article, some amazing things happened behind the scenes before the Utah/BYU game last Saturday. I've attached the article to this post and won't go into many details (see below for link to the full article). I was thoroughly impressed, however, with what the football team decided to do the night before the rivalry game. Instead of making last minute preparations for the game, they decided to go visit the inmates at the local prison. Spencer Hadley didn't want to go but finally ended up on the bus, headed towards point of the mountain. "I wasn't sure I wanted to be around the team," Hadley said. "I felt the shame of what had happened." While at the prison, Bronco was the keynote speaker and, upon finishing his remarks and making his way back to his seat, the inmates wanted to hear from Hadley. They obviously weren't oblivious to what had happened and wanted to hear what had happened. I'm so impressed with the courage demonstrated by Hadley and what he did next. Instead of wallowing in his own despair, he got up and spoke to the group. He said the following:

"I've done some things that have embarrassed my family, my teammates, my school, and even my church, but I believe in redemption.

"I know who I am. I know who you are. We're all children of a Heavenly Father. All of us in this room have made mistakes. Not one of us qualifies as being the most vilest of sinners. Yet having made mistakes I know that we can change and we can come back and right the wrongs that we've done."

I'll now quote directly from the author of the article as his writing beautifully descibes what happened next:

"One inmate rose to his feet and started clapping. A second inmate joined him. A third stood up. Soon every inmate was on his feet, shouting and clapping.

"Mendenhall stood and wrapped his arms around Hadley, who buried his face in his coach's shoulder and wept like a baby. "I'm proud of you," Mendenhall whispered. "The first step on the road to redemption is to use our mistakes to bless others. And that's what you did tonight."

As much as I'm not impressed with Bronco as a football coach, I'm thoroughly impressed with the care he takes to mold his players into men of God. Not one of us is perfect and we are all in need of redemption through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I'm glad that life at BYU is not all about football and, even though the fans can forget who they are, Bronco is constantly reminding his team who they really are and what they are about.

It just so happens that today, before reading this Sports Illustrated article, I was listening to the previous General Conference and came across Elder D Todd Christofferson's talk entitled Redemption. In his talk, Elder Christofferson reminds us of our duty to help in this redemptive work.

"This kind of redemptive work means helping people with their problems. It means befriending the poor and the weak, alleviating suffering, righting wrongs, defending truth, strengthening the rising generation, and achieving security and happiness at home. Much of our redemptive work on earth is to help others grow and achieve their just hopes and aspirations."

 Those who know me will understand how much of a Utah Utes fan I am and that will never change; however, today I've become a Hadley and Bronco fan for joining in this redemptive work by "helping people with their problems." Life isn't all about football and, for many of these players, football will come and go and be but a small moment of their lives. While football is fun, it is very limited. Redemption through the atonement of Jesus Christ is eternal and I'm pleased these football players are learning how to use the atonement to better themselves eternally.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130925/spencer-hadley-byu/#ixzz2fwQ5kMdi

Power of Music

"Music is truly the universal language, and when it is excellently expressed how deeply it moves our souls." This quote was given in 1945 by President David O McKay and couldn't be more true today. Because music is so powerful in "mov[ing] our souls," the adversary uses music to drive people away from the Spirit and towards him. What kind of music do you listen to and where is it driving you?

"Inspiring music may fill the soul with heavenly thoughts, move one to righteous action, or speak peace to the soul."~President Ezra Taft Benson, Nov 1974

The following is a great rendition of I am a Child of God created by a 13 year old girl (a family member).

Protection in Today's World

This past Saturday morning, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to the temple with the ward. This was the first time we had taken family names we had researched to do endowment sessions. It was AMAZING! We had to wait for a while in the chapel so I began to ponder about one my of my ancestors I was taking through. As I sat in the chapel, my thoughts led me to the words from a recent general conference talk from Elder David A Bednar. He said the following:

"I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead (see D&C 124:28–36). And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories.

As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives."

  

It is becoming harder and harder to be obedient with the worldly influences that surround us. As I've met with members who struggle with thwarting the temptations of the adversary in their lives, I often refer them to this talk and, in particular, this quote. This quote is one not only for youth, but for all of us. Elder Bednar makes us some pretty incredible promises.

I'm the type of person that always wants to understand the WHY behind things. When we understand the WHY, we are transformed. President Uchtdorf said in a recent conference address that "the what informs, but the why transforms." When we understand why Elder Bednar makes this promise of being "protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary" in our lives, we'll want to do more to search out all our kindred dead and take those names to the temple.

I love the scripture that is often quoted regarding the Spirit of Elijah and family history work found in Malachi chapter 4. As you might recall, it says:

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Emphasis added) 

When I was on my mission, Elder Russell M Nelson came to speak with us. He held a mission conference and spoke to us about the importance of understanding different languages. When he taught us about the importance of understanding the English language, he used the word "Elijah" to illustrate his point. In Hebrew, the word "El" literally means the father and the word "Jah" literally means the son. The vowel "i" was used as a linking vowel. Therefore, the name Elijah literally means linking the father to the son and the son to the father.

So what does this all mean?

When we are found searching out our ancestors who have passed on, their hearts are turned towards us to help us find their names. They are so desperately yearning for someone to find them! When their hearts are turned towards us, I would almost guarantee that they'll be "round about [us], to bear [us] up" during times of trial (D&C 84:88). It only makes sense these ancestors would want to be around people who are diligently seeking after them. However, on the flip-side, if we're playing video games, watching television, or messing around on the internet all day long, I can't imagine their hearts being turned to us and gathering around us to bear us up. I can only imagine them turning away from us and towards others who will help them.

Elder Nelson teaches that the Spirit of Elijah is "a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family." As you and I are engaged in finding our ancestors (who are rooting for us to find them and will help us), the Spirit will be stronger in our lives, helping us overcome temptation and follow the Savior. As this happens, indeed, our testimonies of the Savior and conversion to Him will become "deep and abiding." I'm grateful I was able to find and go through the temple for Henry Jackson (born in 1776) on Saturday and my wife was able to do the work for Edith Walker (her great, great grandma). What a blessing!

Sense of Belonging

Even though I haven't viewed the video that's created so much controversy with Miley Cyrus, I've seen pictures plastered on news outlets and read blog posts surrounding her recent makeover. Most of us have known Miley Cyrus as the innocent Hannah Montana and, because of the stark changes, are trying to possibly understand why she made such a change. Even though I can't enter the brain of Miley and certainly don't pretend to understand her situation, I can see a trend between her and several other young women and young men who have made these types of changes: a sense of belonging.

While reading the book Standing for Something, President Gordon B. Hinckley uses a quote from a Jenkins Lloyd Jones (a Unitarian Minister). Jenkins said the following:

"The kid who isn't loved knows it. There is no trauma so excruciating as parental rejection. No other form of human cussedness can more efficiently wreck a human life. Yet there persists the superstition that 'advantages' are a substitute for affection. They aren't. The finest of the advantages a family can offer can't be found in a department store, a car dealer's showroom, or a prep school. The only priceless one is the sense of belonging. Otherwise the family becomes a combination of cafe and dormitory. There's no glue in it.”

If our kids don't feel that sense of belonging in the home, they'll go find it elsewhere.

Many prophets have counseled that the greatest work that we can be a part of will be "within the walls of our own homes." This is ever-so important today! As I chat with youth and interact with them often, I'm beginning to find out that one of the greatest challenges they face in high schools today is trying to "fit in" or feel like they belong somewhere. When youth don't understand who they REALLY are, they may change the way they dress, the way they speak, and what they do in their free time to create someone who they're really not but someone who fits in. If all they view their home as is a place to eat and sleep and they don't feel any sense of belonging, where will they search for it? No amount of clothing, video games, or anything else money can buy will help our children feel like they belong. As mentioned in my previous post, it's the TIME we spend with them that will help them feel loved.

How will our children feel like they belong in the home? Allow me to share 3 simple things we can do:
1. Create family traditions and habits - What daily, weekly, seasonal, and yearly traditions and habits have you created in your family? In an inconsistent world around us, create consistency!
2. Shutting down technology for a specific amount of time each day - Technology is great and certainly needed; however, it can create noise for our children that makes it difficult to communicate with them face-to-face.
3. Spending consistent one-on-one time with each child - There is nothing so powerful as the trust that's created through one-on-one time with our kids. When we are consistent with the amount of time we spend with our kids, they'll be consistent with their communication with us.

The most important thing we can do for our children is to constantly tell them and teach them who they are, where they REALLY come from, and what potential they have! They need to be told that you're proud of them.