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An Armful of Valentines: Readers Write from
the Heart
Edited and compiled by Kathy Green
Belnap as Bellwether
As a former victim of a terrible postpartum depression, followed by two others, It took me quite a while to escape from the fear and anxiety these depressions evoked. But I can personally testify to the truth of what Dr. Belnap is saying in his articles. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that hard work, positive thinking, and the healing power of the Lord can ultimately overcome symptoms of depression. I do believe that there is a physical component to some mental illnesses, but I also know that in many cases correct thinking, the support of others, and a reliance on the Spirit of the Lord can help us overcome such tendencies. I am grateful that the psychiatric profession is coming to this belief in great numbers, for they will now be able to give real help to their patients.
Thank you, Dr. Belnap, for stating these truths so plainly and clearly.
Judith LaMontagne
Freeland Washington
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Agency, by Vickey Pahnke Taylor
There is a common tendency in the church to refer to "free agency," but the term appears nowhere in scripture. Scriptures are replete with statements that man is "free to choose [liberty and eternal life or captivity and death]," is "agent unto himself," and refer to "the agency of man." However, the term "free agency" tends in the minds of many to lead to the notion of being free to do as they please, rather than to choose between good and evil.
I think we would all be well served to refrain from using the term "free agency," and instead use the term "agency." I am to teach my children and grandchildren careful that they have a right, and are free, to choose between good and evil. But when they make wrong choices, they are not free to control or significantly affect the consequences of their choices because consequences are established by laws and principles that are neither changeable, nor are they are in the control of God or other humans. For example, someone who commits a wrong against me is in no position to determine or control how I choose to respond to their irresponsibility.
Your article is well presented and correct. It is unfortunate that so many equate "freedom" with "license," which leads to licentiousness. One hears too much about rights and too little about responsibility in today's society. A prime example is the current discourse over NSA "eavesdropping" on private conversations in the interest of improving national security against terrorists. Many consider it an "invasion" in violation of their right of privacy. The US Constitution makes no mention of privacy, and the fourth amendment addresses "unreasonable search and seizure," not an absolute ban against search and seizure. Careful observation reveals that many who purport to be most concerned about their right to privacy also tend to have much to be private about.
A lack of privacy tends to make one more careful about being circumspect in behavior in order to avoid public embarrassment. In many instances, this can be a very good thing. Concealment of private, illegal behavior is the stock in trade of not only the Gadiantons, but also the ACLU and others. It is also the stock in trade of those who desire to "cover [their] sins" (D&C 121:37).
Clarke Echols
Loveland, CO
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Week 2 of February: Respect, In Connection with Richard and Linda Eyre
I just read Mr. Eyre’s article.
Excellent!
He's nailed it down to the fundamentals.
Now if we could only implement these changes, what an effect they would have in turning our country around, helping countless families who are struggling, and perhaps even creating positive change on a larger global scale.
LF
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SVU's Returned Missionaries Improve Bolivian Businesses, by Bryan Gentry
I just wanted to thank you for including this article in your magazine. It was great to read it, not only because I am currently an SVU student, but also because one of the returned missionaries highlighted (Chris Burton) is very dear to my heart. It was great to see what my fellow classmates are accomplishing.
Krysten Squires
Buena Vista, Virginia
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The Change of Heart From Chapter 1 of The First Principles of Marriage, by H. Wallace Goddard
Thank you so much for including articles written by H. Wallace Goddard. What an inspiring and delightful man. I always look for his articles because he seems to speak to my soul, not only with the words and subjects he writes about, but the thoughts that he so ably captures and conveys through his writing. He makes me want to be a better wife, mother and human being. I thoroughly enjoy his books as well. He is a real asset to Meridian.
Allie Duffy
Salt Lake City, Utah
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I would like to say how clear, calm and disconcerting I found Paul Bishop's article "The Lure of the Web." As a mother of two sons under 10, I am careful about what sites they visit, and I stay close in case of pop-ups.
I have a question for Br. Bishop though — how do we keep younger children safe from abuse (direct or otherwise) on the internet?
My son's Primary school asked us to read a contract with our son to agree to "Net Ettiquite" (which we didn't have a problem with, particularly as it included disclosing no personal information except first name). But then we were asked to give permission for the publication of his photo on the net if needed for projects. Is this possibly opening the door to abuse, known or otherwise?
Wanting to protect my innocent,
Kel George,
Melbourne, Australia
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I have three teenagers who have recently been introduced to the MySpace craze. I felt wrong about it from the beginning. Although I have a lot of trust and faith in my teenagers and their "choose the right" decision-making skills, I noticed the pictures they chose of themselves to post were not ones I would have chosen for them. I visited some of the sites of their friends and the pictures chosen to represent them and captions were obviously not chosen by their parents. I suppose the attitude portrayed is common risqué to fit in with the others. It took me little time and effort to find links from my space to extremely inappropriate (actually X-rated nasty) material, pictures and short movie clips. Invitations to some of these sites came automatically through pop ups. I cannot allow MySpace use in my house, period.
I view it as allowing my child to go to the bar downtown adjacent to the strip club and red light district without supervision in disguise, to just hangout in a side room and talk with others who have been dropped off by their parents. The doors to the smoke filled bar, the naked dancing club and the red light district all swing open from time to time, exposing a little glimpse of what action is out there. Even the friends that have joined him in the room do not know what he sees, or knows if he exits the room for what lies outside. No one is at the door to deny him from exploring. The filth out there is calling, who's going to close the door?
I closed my door!
Dan Taylor
Concerned parent/seminary teacher
and friend to the youth of Zion.
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I just read the article and some of the reader responses about warning labels on social interaction websites.
I still don't understand how a warning label acts as a deterrent to discourage horny or "overtly curious" young people from visiting such a site.
In fact the opposite may be true, where people could use the keywords of the warning label to search the internet to discover more bad stuff.
The only real deterrent that I know of is to get legislation enacted to start taxing websites that offer such discretionary material.
A good example of this would be the "Adult Entertainment Industry" initiative and to enforce the use of credit card age protection certification that will solidly block out minors and others from most (if not all) of these types of places. (After all, In California you have to show the store clerk your drivers license to buy a beer or pack of smokes.)
Bryce Hall
Carlsbad, Califrnia
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Your article was absolutely true. I've recently heard about myspace.com and in this short time, have been completely disgusted with what I've heard and scene. I watched Dateline last night-it was a 2-hour special on Online Predators-they arrested more than FIFTY men in three days in Riverside California. These "men"(perverts) thought they had met a 13-year old girl or boy online, and were meeting at the child’s house for sex. The number one place for blogging was myspace.com.
I have children, not quite teenagers yet, but I can tell you that they have very limited time on the computer, and I watch what they look at, and we only have one computer. It's in the living room where everyone can see, not in their bedrooms behind closed doors. It is our responsibility as parents, to stay informed and "up to speed" on what our youth are doing. I really appreciate your article and I hope more people realize how serious this problem is.
Name withheld by request
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Schooling Orson Scott Card
Bravo for a sane and educated voice on this issue. I agree wholeheartedly with Card’s proposed statement on evolution for use in the schools.
However, Card slightly misses the mark in his discussion of Intelligent Design in failing to note that scientists in other fields have developed methodologies for discovering the presence or absence of "intelligent design" in what appear to be natural phenomena.
Examples are rife in archeology, which postulates, searches for, and recognizes instances of intelligent causation in environmental settings. Objects that appear to the average man to be plain old rocks are easily identified as scrappers or grinding stones, lumps and heaps of soil can be distinguished as burial mounds and ancient village sites, and scratches on cave walls are
identified as prehistoric art. The SETI Project, which searches for signs of extraterrestrial intelligences and is well accepted in the scientific community, is convinced that it will be able to identify intelligently created radio signals as separate and distinguishable from the radio noise created by natural processes. Computer scientists involved in cryptology (the study, creation,
use, and breaking of codes and coded messages) develop and use algorithms to separate data containing hidden encrypted messages from random signals.
To postulate, search for, and recognize possible instances of intelligent causation on the biological materials of life on our planet is a perfectly valid scientific pursuit. In fact, biologists already do this when they identify plants and animals as the products of human domestication.
Fifty years ago, "intelligent design" of biological materials was Science Fiction. Today, it is Genetic Engineering and Biotech. When our new understanding of these processes and methodologies points to possible or probable instances of intelligent interference in the random natural processes of biological evolution, then scientists must have the academic freedom and the courage to say so. Unfortunately, in the current "Church of Darwin" atmosphere, scientists doing so risk their careers and reputations for a perfect example, see here and are unlikely to make the discoveries along these currently forbidden lines of enquiry.
From an LDS perspective, the spirituality of man, the plurality of worlds and the existence of higher orders of intelligent life (and their involvement with life on this planet) — all accepted as articles of faith by the LDS — should not be forbidden subjects of study to scientists of any field. In fact, in the past ten years, proving the existence of planets circling other suns has become the "poster boy" of astronomers and the SETI Project has evolved from crackpot to accepted dogma amongst scientists in general.
The forced separation of Science and Religion is based, in my opinion, on the false premise that things spiritual (including God) are not part of the "real" world, that they are "supernatural" and therefore can't be studied with "real science." As in the past, Man's big mistake is to claim that the things we don't understand, or the causes we can not identify, are "cosmic mysteries" or "magic" and must not be approached lest we offend the Gods or the Authorities or the Emperor or the University Board of Regents. It is my suspicion that we simply understand so very little about the spiritual aspects of the universe that we continue to label it as "unknowable," and like the ancients, claim it is a matter for study "only by priests.” Perhaps a better approximation of the truth would be that everything that exists — spirituality of man, God, the Universe, and everything — is the real world and a proper object of study.
As LDS, we do not fear the truths of science or any other subject, because we believe ALL things that are true — in fact, "we seek after these things." It is the failure to "seek after these things" that is error.
Kip Hansen
Saugerties, New York
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Marvin Payne did go door to door. I was a student at BYU, living in off campus housing, and he came by and sang and played his guitar to our apartment (and, I suppose, anybody else who would let him in)! It was a long time ago, maybe 1974 or 75, and a unique enough experience that I still remember it.
Joyce VanTassell
Ogden, Utah
Thank you for taking a personal interest in my concern about delivery of this DVD. We received it and spent a most rewarding Fast Sunday afternoon being totally mesmerized by its beauty and spiritual impact. Please pass our good wishes along to Brother Proctor. I have just been called and set apart as an assistant recorder in the Denver Colorado Temple. I will take a whole new insight and appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith into the Temple on Tuesday. Please know how deeply we appreciate all that you do.
Gale E. Epperson,
Denver, Colorado
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My Christmas Wish, by Tiffany Lewis
Wow, I just came across your article, "My Christmas Wish," in Meridian Magazine. What a beautiful piece you wrote. I was deeply touched, and sincerely admire your talent. Your message, writing style and "voice" really spoke to me. I look forward to reading more of the "Mother Mayhem" column.
Jennifer Gibbs Kambourian
Santa Clara, CA
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This article surely must apply to almost everyone! I just really like the title, too: Grace under Pressure. We all have pressures. With seven children and 14 grandchildren (and 2 in the pocket), I have that one wild child that is not embracing the truth. That is so hard on a parent, but I just remember the promise at the veil, and just keep loving this rebellious one. My sister has a brain tumor, and her life has taken a huge bump in the road. She is trying to cope, but it is hard; I shall share this article with her; I think it will really help. Prayers are always answered, but sometimes not the way we hoped for, or within the timeframe we wanted. That is where the grace becomes a survival technique. I shall remember the best line: the triumph sometimes has to be mine alone. I really enjoy your writing.
Rebecca in Salem.