SCOTUS RULING: First Prohibition 1933, Second Abortion 1973, and Third Same SEX abominations 2015. : (

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• This is the second postcard I sent to Brandon this week. Karli in my BoM class Thursday night has a sister who is pleased. Cristy my cousin who has a gay son is pleased. Neal Cooper is pleased.  I'm not.  : (
• But if not, … we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” That is a statement of true faith. @They knew that they could trust God—even if things didn’t turn out the way they hoped. They knew that faith is more than mental assent, more than an acknowledgment that God lives. Faith is total trust in Him. @Faith is believing that although we do not understand all things, He does. Faith is knowing that although our power is limited, His is not. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. @Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego knew they could always rely on Him because they knew His plan,<< @~so what ~ do flying~squirrels have ~to do ~with anything? @Leap of faith. LEAP OF FAITH. We leap in faith! Yes we do! @And the butterfly was just to add flying color, like Quinn. @The colorful character! @ ~ ~ ~end @ Thursday, July 2, 2015, 5:58pm Hello again Brandon. I mentioned before that I listened to every single general Conference talk from '71 to '15 and now I have started over. I have 5K highlights I have colored and saved. Only bad news is that when you print them they leave off all the beautiful colors!! : ( No big deal. Here it is July and the last highlighting I did was April 20. Yep, fishing season hit! Anyway, for some reason talks on the family and marriage really meant a lot to me this conference. I am going to send you all the quotes I loved so much that I marked on 4-20. My heart was broken Sunday when I learned about same gender marriage being approved by the SUPREME court of the united states of america. I have a betrayed button that is quite large because of the trauma from my parents. My first experience with the Holy Ghost was when I was 14 or 15 and attended with my parents a patriotic speech by ETB in the Marriot Center at BYU. I fell in love with my country! I know, truly know that this is the most promised land on earth! And the restoration of the gospel was able to take place only here, in this wonderful, precious, new country. SCOTUS has betrayed our values, our religion, and God as well as me and my trust. I can't believe it. I am in shock! So these highlights/quotes are so timely! ~ ~ ~ @'15aprVern 's Study Notebook Why Marriage, Why FamilyWould we individually overcome evil? Those who did would “have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever”—a very significant aspect of that glory being a resurrected, immortal, and glorified physical body.  No wonder we “shouted for joy” at these magnificent possibilities and promises. Why Marriage, Why Family Could we be trusted both in time and eternity with godly powers, including power to create life?Trust- the keyword in my life!Why Marriage, Why FamilyCould we bridle the flesh so that it became the instrument rather than the master of the spirit?"bridle" again just like BKPWhy Marriage, Why Family If, then in the course of our mortal experience, we chose to “do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God [should] command [us],” we would have kept our “second estate.” This means that by our choices we would demonstrate to God (and to ourselves) our commitment and capacity to live His celestial law while outside His presence and in a physical body with all its powers, appetites, and passions.Why Marriage, Why Family The addition of the physical element is essential to the fulness of being and glory that God Himself enjoys.Why Marriage, Why Family The two principal purposes of the plan were explained to Abraham in these words:“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these [spirits] may dwell;“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;“And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; … and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.” I can see why it is called the Pearl of Great Price!Why Marriage, Why FamilyThere came a time in this premortal existence of spirits when, in furtherance of His desire that we “could have a privilege to advance like himself,”  our Heavenly Father prepared an enabling plan.Why Marriage, Why Family Prophets have revealed that we first existed as intelligences and that we were given form, or spirit bodies, by God, thus becoming His spirit children—sons and daughters of heavenly parents.
•  The Plan of HappinessThe Atonement is individual, and if you have something that is bothering you—sometimes so long ago you can hardly remember it—put the Atonement to work. It will clean it up, and you, as does He, will remember your sins no more.The Plan of Happiness When it comes to my wife, the mother of our children, I am without words.The Plan of Happiness The greatest reward we have received in this life, and the life to come, is our children and our grandchildren.The Plan ofHappines When we speak of marriage and family life, there inevitably comes to mind, “What about the exceptions?” Some are born with limitations and cannot beget children. Some innocents have their marriage wrecked because of the infidelity of their spouse. Others do not marry and live in single worthiness.For now I offer this comfort: God is our Father! All the love and generosity manifest in the ideal earthly father is magnified in Him who is our Father and our God beyond the capacity of the mortal mind to comprehend. His judgments are just; His mercy without limit; His power to compensate beyond any earthly comparison. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” ( 1 Corinthians 15:19 ).The Plan of Happiness  Our physical bodies, when harmed, are able to repair themselves, sometimes with the help of a physician. If the damage is extensive, however, often a scar will remain as a reminder of the injury.With our spiritual bodies it is another matter. Our spirits are damaged when we make mistakes and commit sins. But unlike the case of our mortal bodies, when the repentance process is complete, no scars remain because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The promise is: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” ( D&C 58:42 ).no scars The Plan of Happiness Nowhere is the generosity and mercy of God more manifest than in repentance.The Plan of Happiness The only legitimate, authorized expression of the powers of procreation is between husband and wife, a man and a woman, who have been legally and lawfully married.The ONLY! The Plan of Happiness Alma told his son Corianton, “Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?” ( Alma 39:5 ). We cannot escape the consequences when we transgress.Intense! Powerful!The Plan of Happiness  If we pollute our fountains of life or lead others to transgress, there will be penalties more “exquisite” and “hard to bear” ( D&C 19:15 ) than all the physical pleasure could ever be worth. This is one that is "not worth it! The Plan of Happiness He and those who followed him were cast out and forfeited the right to a mortal body. “He seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” ( 2 Nephi 2:27 ). He will tempt, if he can, to degrade, to corrupt, and, if possible, to destroy this gift by which we may, if we are worthy, have eternal increase(see D&C 132:28–31 ).40 billion of HF's spirit children!: ( The Plan of Happiness Temptations are ever present. Because the adversary cannot beget life, he is jealous toward all who have that supernal power. jealous!The Plan of Happiness Alma admonished his son Shiblon, “See that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love” ( Alma 38:12 ). A bridle is used to guide, to direct, to restrain. Our passion is to be controlled. When lawfully used, the power of procreation will bless and will sanctify (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 158).I have memorized and repeated this one hundreds of times. And see that ye bridle all of your passions that ye may be filled with love. I love it!The Plan of Happiness “The spirit and the body are the soul of man” ( D&C 88:15 ), and there are spiritual and physical laws to obey if we are to be happy. There are eternal laws, including laws relating to this power to give life, “irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated” ( D&C 130:20 ). These are spiritual laws which define the moral standard for mankind (see Joseph Smith Translation, Romans 7:14–15 [in the Bible appendix]; 2 Nephi 2:5; D&C 29:34; 134:6 ). There are covenants which bind, seal, and safeguard and give promise of eternal blessings . Of course! It makes total sense! The Plan of Happiness  Reverently now I use the word temple. I envision a sealing room and an altar with a young couple kneeling there. This sacred temple ordinance is much more than a wedding, for this marriage can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, and the scriptures declare that we “shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions” ( D&C 132:19 ). I see the joy that awaits those who accept this supernal gift and use it worthily. The Plan of Happiness  Within its mortal body is a spirit able to feel and perceive spiritual things.The Pla of Happiness It will, when covenants are made and kept, last eternally, “for therein are the keys of the holy priesthood ordained, that you may receive honor and glory” ( D&C 124:34 ), “which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever” ( D&C 132:19 ).what a combination of scriptures! The Plan of Happiness That part of life has no equal, no counterpart, in all human experience. The Plan of Happiness  When entered into worthily, this process combines the most exquisite and exalted physical, emotional, and spiritual feelings associated with the word love.The Plan of Happiness It means avoiding situations where physical desire might take control. Pure love presupposes that only after a pledge of eternal fidelity, a legal and lawful ceremony, and ideally after the sealing ordinance in the temple are those procreative powers released in God’s eye for the full expression of love. It is to be shared solely and only with that one who is your companion forever.The Plan of Happiness True love requires reserving until after marriage the sharing of that affection which unlocks those sacred powers in that fountain of life. It really does! The Plan of Happiness Mature love has a bliss not even imagined by newlyweds.The Plan of Happiness And if you suppose that the full-blown rapture of young romantic love is the sum total of the possibilities which spring from the fountains of life, you have not yet lived to see the devotion and the comfort of longtime married love.  bkp is so down to earth! And yet how old is he?The Plan of Happiness As the procreative power matures in early manhood and womanhood, very personal feelings occur, in a natural way, unlike any other physical experience.The Plan of HappinessThe desire to mate in humankind is constant and very strong. Our happiness in mortal life, our joy and exaltation are dependent upon how we respond to these persistent, compelling physical desires.The Plan of HappinessThe power of procreation is not an incidental part of the plan; it is the plan of happiness; it is the key to happiness.The Plan of Happiness Through the righteous exercise of this power, we may come close to our Father in Heaven and experience a fulness of joy, even godhood.The Plan of Happiness The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth has never been rescinded. It is essential to the plan of redemption and is the source of human happiness.What is the source of human happiness? The Plan of Happiness “The Gods went down to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods to form they him, male and female to form they them.“And the Gods said: We will bless them. And the Gods said: We will cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” ( Abraham 4:27–28 ).And so the cycle of human life began on this earth as “Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth.“And … the sons and daughters of Adam began to divide two and two in the land, … and they also begat sons and daughters” ( Moses 5:2–3 ). Look at what we have because of the P of GP! The Plan of Happiness Over the years I have frequently taught an important principle: the end of all activity in the Church The Plan of Happiness  are happy at home, sealed together for time and for all eternity.The Plan of Happiness The Atonement can put you free again to move forward, cleanly and worthily, to pursue that path that you have chosen in life.The Plan of Happiness There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity.
• Why Marriage, Why Family This is, to use the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the “office” of marriage, the “post of responsibility towards … mankind,” that this divine institution “from above, from God” occupies. It is the “link in the chain of the generations” both here and hereafter—the order of heaven.Why Marriage, Why Family A family built on the marriage of a man and woman supplies the best setting for God’s plan to thrive—the setting for the birth of children, who come in purity and innocence from God, and the environment for the learning and preparation they will need for a successful mortal life and eternal life in the world to come.Why Marriage, Why Family At least four things are needed for the success of this divine plan:Why Marriage, Why Family A critical mass of families built on such marriages is vital for societies to survive and flourish.Why Marriage, Why Family And so “we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”Why Marriage, Why Family But our claims for the role of marriage and family rest not on social science but on the truth that they are God’s creation. It is He who in the beginning created Adam and Eve in His image, male and female, and joined them as husband and wife to become “one flesh” and to multiply and replenish the earth.Why Marriage, Why Family I offered words of reassurance, and in my heart I pleaded that God, her Heavenly Father, would buoy her up with His love and the witness of His approval as she is about His work.Why Marriage, Why Family To declare the fundamental truths relative to marriage and family is not to overlook or diminish the sacrifices and successes of those for whom the ideal is not a present reality.Why Marriage, Why Family Certainly the adversary is pleased when parents neglect to teach and train their children to have faith in Christ and be spiritually born again. Brothers and sisters, many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential.Why Marriage, Why Family He seeks to convince men and women that marriage and family priorities can be ignored or abandoned, or at least made subservient to careers, other achievements, and the quest for self-fulfillment and individual autonomy.Why Marriage, Why Family He attacks everything that is sacred about human sexuality, tearing it from the context of marriage with a seemingly infinite array of immoral thoughts and acts.Why Marriage, Why Family He fights to discourage marriage and the formation of families, and where marriages and families are formed, he does what he can to disrupt them.Why Marriage, Why Family In the premortal world, Lucifer rebelled against God and His plan, and his opposition only grows in intensity.Why Marriage, Why Family Such marriage is indeed “from above, from God” and is as much a part of the plan of happiness as the Fall and the Atonement.Why Marriage, Why Family Neither we nor any other mortal can alter this divine order of matrimony. It is not a human invention.Why Marriage, Why Family Each individual carries the divine image, but it is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God—male and female.Why Marriage, Why Family May marriages flourish and families prosper, and whether our lot is a fulness of these blessings in mortality or not, may the Lord’s grace bring happiness now and faith in sure promises to come.Why Marriage, Why Family That is my prayer for all of us today. May we each find approval in His sight.Why Marriage, Why Famil yNo one is predestined to receive less than all that the Father has for His children.Why Marriage, Why Family o many of you are doing your very best. And when you who bear the heaviest burdens of mortality stand up in defense of God’s plan to exalt His children, we are all ready to march. With confidence we testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has anticipated and, in the end, will compensate all deprivation and loss for those who turn to Him.Why Marriage, Why Family Much that is good, much that is essential—even sometimes all that is necessary for now—can be achieved in less than ideal circumstances.Why Marriage, Why Famil  Even so, everyone has gifts; everyone has talents; everyone can contribute to the unfolding of the divine plan in each generation.Why Marriage, Why Family Some of you who are married cannot bear children despite overwhelming desires and pleading prayers.(Adams, Clarks, Clarksii, Stasinos) Why Marriage, Why Family Or you may have married, but that marriage ended, and you are left to manage alone what two together can barely sustain.Why Marriage, Why Family Some of you are denied the blessing of marriage for reasons including a lack of viable prospects, same-sex attraction, physical or mental impairments, or simply a fear of failure that, for the moment at least, overshadows faith
• Why Marriage and Family Matter—Everywhere in the World Last November, I had the privilege of being invited—along with President Henry B. Eyring and Bishop Gérald Caussé—to attend a colloquium on marriage and family at the Vatican in Rome, Italy. In attendance were religious representatives from 14 different faiths and from six of the seven continents, all of whom had been invited to express their beliefs on what is happening to the family in today’s world. .Why Marriage and Family Matter—Everywhere in the World One of my favorites was when a Muslim scholar from Iran quoted two paragraphs verbatim from our very own proclamation on the family. (HBEyring was invited to be the concluding speaker after all the days of talks.)
• The Family Is of God I’ve never had to live through divorce, the pain and insecurity that comes from abandonment, or the responsibility associated with being a single mother.
• Why Marriage, Why FamilyFor His work to succeed to “[exalt us] with himself,”  God ordained that men and women should marry and give birth to children, thereby creating, in partnership with God, the physical bodies that are key to the test of mortality and essential to eternal glory with Him.p.bodies are keyWhy Marriage, Why FamilyHe also ordained that parents should establish families and rear their children in light and truth,  leading them to a hope in Christ. The Father commands us:“Teach these things freely unto your children, saying:“That … inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the [Holy] Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.”Pearl of GP! Moses
• (The stuff in italics is what I added.  : )vj